Halo: Wolf Pack
by Criosd Pherein
Summary: Rejoin Mike B312, Noble Six in this sequel to the popular FanFic, Halo: Noble Wolf. After the fall of Reach the Lone Wolf learns to be part of a team as he continues to seek to live up to his family legacy. All this happens while trying to shake the feelings he'd developed for the billionaire's daughter, ONI officer Natalia Misriah as the Covenant moves steadily towards Earth.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **August 30, 2552 20:00 Hours, Aszod, Eposz, Planet Reach**

Mike B312, the last member of Noble Team standing on Reach, watched the sky for some time after the _Pillar of Autumn_ left orbit. His job was done but now what?

The rain had stopped and despite the late hour it became light behind the banks of thick clouds. Two Banshees zoomed past, uninterested in his presence and carried on to another area. For a moment Mike thought he'd been forgotten and was merely left stranded on the planet. But then a Phantom approached the Spartan's position followed by another and then another. No, he'd not been forgotten, the Covenant was massing to finish once and for all the human nuisance that had stopped them on so many occasions during their invasion of the planet.

Mike sighed heavily as he moved away from the platform and his fallen brother preparing for what he knew was going to be his final battle. He began to recall his experiences during the fight for Reach. Had it only been a month? He couldn't believe he'd only arrived on July 24th.

 _A lot can change in a month_ , he thought to himself.

Certainly it was more than had changed in the last ten years. He'd been reunited with his friend Kat from training, he'd earned a place on Noble Team, he'd met Mandy and so many others. Then there was Natalia.

He shook his head, as if to clear out all the conflicting thoughts. Could he survive? Alone? No way. The quick-thinking man realized the Covenant had decided long ago to take Reach and no single man- make that no single Spartan -could stop them. He'd fought long and hard and gave Reach his all to achieve this point. He'd fight to the end but he finally realized he owed Reach nothing. He owed the UNSC nothing and finally it dawned on him- he owed the Nantz family legacy nothing. His efforts, his alone, would live on in the annals of history, just like his forefather had done. Hell, people might even sing his praises for centuries to come, if humanity lasted that long.

 _Be the Lone Wolf if you desire_ , a small voice whispered in his ear, _and fight for all you can, but you know this is not a battle you can win. It's time to say goodbye._

"I'll make you all proud," Mike said to himself, as he checked the ammo count on his weapon. He'd take the fight to the relentless invader one last time.

Travelling out into the remnants of the sprawling Sinovet Ship Breaking Complex he began to pass the bodies of troopers that had given their lives to hold the facility.

 _Why should things be any different for me than for any of them?_ Mike thought to himself, as he paused to stock up on ammo and grenades. _There's no happy ending for any of us._

The Spartan pushed out further as more Covenant dropships flew in to disgorge their contents in the distance. _Yea, I'm nothing special,_ he thought _, just like all these others_ , but strangely that gave him comfort. He was like the others. He was a soldier, serving his country and his people, despite all that had been done to him and all he had done.

Then Mike froze.

He saw several bodies that were bigger and armored differently from the others. "Are those Spartans?" Mike asked himself.

There was no opportunity to investigate as several plasma rounds sizzled in, two hitting him full on. Led by three Elites, a group of Grunts came screaming in to finish off the Lone Wolf. All thoughts left his mind as he went into combat mode.

Throwing a grenade and then following up with a stream of fire from his Assault Rifle, Mike took down the first Sangheili, disrupting the attack of the Unggoy in the process. He pushed right through them, spraying fire as he went not to damage but to disrupt. Another grenade stopped the waddling attackers from reforming while he charged in to beat one of the howling Elites down with the butt end of his weapon. The third one fired and hit him with his Plasma Pistol but they were only glancing blows which Mike's shield absorbed.

The Spartan didn't stop, bulling in again but this time coming in low and driving his shoulder into the mid-section of the Sangheili. With a whoosh of air the taller Elite doubled over allowing Mike to drive his rifle butt into the back of the warrior's head, stoving in its skull.

Yet another section of Grunts and Elites joined the fight just as Mike had finished the first one off, followed by another larger group. Mike emptied his Assault Rifle so switched out for the DMR he carried. Firing controlled bursts and moving he was again able to disrupt the cohesion of the assault against him but he was also starting to take more hits and he watched his shields start to drop precariously.

Several more direct hits and the alarm claxon went off. Mike retreated, popping a Drop Shield to recover within but he couldn't wait, more were massing so he rushed out and re-entered the fray.

But there were too many.

Again his shield drained and before he could recharge a salvo of fire hit him. The Plasma formed and began to cause degeneration to his armor. The Lone Wolf killed more than he could count, the number didn't matter anymore, but still they came. His shield couldn't regenerate and so he felt the sizzling sting of the plasma burn through his armor and sear his skin. His helmet held but a small crack appeared in the visor. Mike knew the situation was getting desperate so he again popped a Drop Shield to give himself a breather.

Then on a high arcing trajectory a Plasma Mortar round landed by the shield, disrupting it. A Wraith had entered just as Mike took fire from several flying Covenant aircraft. It seemed like everyone was joining the party now. But there was a cost to entry and despite the increased hits he was taking he made them pay the price in full. Grunts fell by the dozens, Elites fell as well.

Fortunately for Mike as his weapon ran out there were others around from fallen brothers who were almost reaching out from the grave to assist in this final desperate fight. He honored their memories by killing more of the cursed invaders.

But there were just too many.

Mike continued to fight ferociously holding on for as long as possible but he armor continued to be degenerated. A second, larger, crack appeared in his visor as the continued salvos of plasma splashed all over him. But he fought on, throwing grenades, beating aside all comers but inevitability was against him. Steadily being penned in with lessening room to maneuver, the Covenant attackers seeking blood revenge on the Spartan confined him in with the sheer weight of numbers. Their fire was relentless, irregardless of casualties to their own side from missed shots. They had the singular purpose of destroying this man.

The Spartan's shield went down for the last time and his armor was

breeched. The alarm claxon went off as his MJOLNIR armor's environmental system failed. Unable to breathe in the vacuum sealed helmet Mike ripped it off and tossed it to aside continuing to fight.

Confident this was the Spartan's last stand the most powerful of the Elite's aligned against him waved off the Grunts and lesser Sangheili, each wanting the glory of this one last kill.

But there was still some fight left in Mike-B312.

An Elite charged in at Mike, firing a plasma rifle but the Spartan met the attack, standing tall and shredding the warrior with a sustained burst from his assault rifle. A golden-armored Sangheili General moved in for the attack from behind hoping to skewer Mike with an energy sword. Instead Noble Six deflected the sizzling blow and knocking the Elite to the ground he killed it with several precise rounds from his pistol.

But there were just too many of the motivated attackers.

Mike was hit by a concentrated barrage of plasma fire, staggering him. Wounded and bleeding, he still managed to stay standing. Holding his Assault Rifle at the hip in the right hand and the pistol in the left, Noble Six continued to fight not only for his team but for all who lost their lives in the futile effort to save Reach, killing a Sangheili Minor and Major before another white-armored Ultra bull rushed into the gap, knocking the Spartan roughly to the ground.

An Elite Zealot claimed the kill. Waving the others off the warrior raised his Energy Sword preparing to stab the downed Noble Six. But Mike had another plan so kicked the Elite away with a hard thrust, knocking the Energy Sword out of the Zealot's hand. The Ultra who'd first knocked Mike to the rocky ground pounced on the Spartan. Mike managed to elbow the Ultra in the jaw. The Zealot recovered and came right back in deftly drawing its Energy Dagger, and finally stabbed him deep into the chest. Mike howled in pain and the anguish of defeat just as a stealth-armored SpecOps Sangheili came to stand over him, the tips of its Energy Sword only inches from his face.

Mike closed his eyes and prepared for what was to come. He was calm and ready to cross through the dark gates to the next part of his journey. In some ways he looked forward to it. No longer would he have to answer to those who would use him for his own gain, no longer would his heart ache at the thoughts of Natalia and what could have been, no longer would he even have to be confused about Mandy and the affection she'd expressed which had only made things more complicated, and no more would he have to live with the Nantz family legacy. No, he was ready to go.

The SpecOps Elite raised the Energy Sword quickly; screaming in triumph when the sharp crack of a Sniper Rifle ripped through the air followed by another in short order. The Zealot flopped to the ground, its maw ripped open by the round that had gone through it as did the Spec Ops Sangheili, killed by a similar head shot. The whine of an inbound Pelican could be heard above the din only for a moment before the sound of its 70mm chin mounted Chain Gun opening fire overwhelmed the din.

Mike was near unconscious from loss of blood from his multiple wounds when he saw a pair of armored boots out of his hazy eyes. A cool feeling began to fill his body as a canister of Biofoam was inserted into the receptacle in his armor.

"Come on Six, let's get you out of here," a vaguely familiar voice seemed to call him from a distance as the pain and confusion of the moment overwhelmed him as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Mike regained consciousness some time later finding himself lying on the metal deck of a Pelican flying as fast as it could. Rubbing his eyes and shaking his head to regain his faculties he sat up, still wobbly and his eyes focused on the bald head of Jun, reloading one of his Sniper Rifle magazines with 14.5x114mm ammo.

"How you doing, Six?" the cerebral sniper asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Hurts like hell," Mike grunted.

"At least you're alive."

All at once, like a high speed data upload, it all clicked for Mike. "Hey, how'd you know where to find me?"

Jun chuckled. "Ran into a cute medic and a Master Sergeant who looked like he should be holding a box of donuts not a shotgun at the last extraction point left on the planet. Hopefully it'll still be there when we get back cause we're cutting it close."

"But…," Mike was still confused and increasingly groggy.

"They said you might need an extract since you'd likely never go off on the _Autumn_."

"Did it get away?" Mike asked, eyes closed, willing that the team's last sacrifice would not be for nothing.

"Yea, apparently it jumped but who knows where," Jun answered.

Mike breathed a sigh of relief. It's wasn't all for nothing. Still, the cost had been high. "Emile's dead. So is Commander Carter," he declared, informing his teammate of recent developments.

"I figured that," the sniper responded without emotion.

"Did the cute medic make it off the planet?" Mike asked, now wanting to find out about Mandy.

"She did. Also said to pass on a message: she said to look her up when you have a minute," Jun reported. "What's that all about?"

Mike couldn't help but smile despite his physical and emotional pain. He closed his eyes and leaned back onto the side wall of the drop ship. "It's a long story."

"We got time, dude," Jun replied, interest peaked at the strange conversation during this last stand. "Oh, and when we get off planet, there's someone who wants to talk to you."

The Pelican did make it with all of five minutes to spare before the last transport lifted off from the lost planet of Reach. What once had been a crown jewel of the UNSC was now completely lost but for Mike Nantz, it was not all lost. Though he'd suffered and lost those he'd come to love he'd lost something he'd been trying to shed for years- the legacy that had driven him to fight as the Lone Wolf. From now on he'd blaze a new legacy, one of his own making. Taking out the battered Congressional Medal of Honor from his ancestor given to him by his father that he'd carried for years he couldn't help but smile. Despite the seemingly bleak future for humanity his was now one he'd craft if he lived long enough to experience it. The thought hung with him as he fell again into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **September 2, 2552, 1545 hours, UNSC** _ **In Amber Clad**_ **, Location classified as per Cole Protocol**

 _Am I dead?_

Mike opened his eyes and it took nearly a minute to register where he was.

 _No, I'm alive but where am I?_

Staring up at florescent ceiling lights his brain seemed to be uploading information slowly. His granite grey eyes slowly scanned his surrounding as he felt the firm support of a bed underneath him. He was in a room without decoration, white in color. There were instruments in the room, one hooked to his arm that emitted a soft hissing sound and occasional beep. Beyond, he could hear, or perhaps feel, the steady hum of what he figured to be an engine though his trained ear could detect it wasn't running smoothly.

 _I'm in a ship_

But what ship and where? The trained mind of the Spartan instinctively knew there were no threats in his surroundings so could relax and try to make sense of what was going on despite the wool on his brain. His body hurt, everywhere, particularly his chest. What had happened to him? It was like he was trying to grasp something in the dark he knew was there but couldn't find.

Then it all came crashing back.

Reach, his last stand against the Covenant there and then all the faces and memories attached to them. Jorge, Kat, Carter, Emile and all the one's whose name he didn't know or remember crowded in. They were all dead and the irony of his situation was renewed. His body hurt in a way he'd never known before. As his mind registered the searing pain the automated Pain Pump connected to his arm read his brain waves and so released an increased amount of pain medication designed to ease his suffering. But his were not just wounds of the body but the most intense ones were of the heart. No, that vital organ that circulated life-giving blood but also represented the emotional soul of a human being could not be helped with medication. His pain was that they were all dead and he wasn't. He who had for years wanted to die just couldn't, it was a sick joke.

Then another realization came to him-he no longer wanted to die, he had things to live for.

Mike Nantz, Noble Six, Spartan B312, had a different attitude than the fatalistic resignation he'd had when first he'd arrived on Reach in July. He'd been the Lone Wolf, keeping everyone at arms-length. On Reach, despite fighting ultimately a losing battle, he'd learned to be part of a team, to care for others besides himself and he'd even discovered love. The image of Natalia Misriah, the daughter of a billionaire industrialist whose name was on most of their weapons, flashed through his mind. He could see her emerald green eyes and pale, creamy white skin in his mind, smell her sent and feel her touch sending a fresh wave of pain through his broken body causing the Pain Pump to go into overdrive.

Natalia had been extracted from Reach during the battle for New Alexandria, arranged by her powerful father, a testimony to the privilege she enjoyed and just how far apart their worlds were. Mike groaned involuntarily at the thought.

"Yo, Wolf, you return to the land of the living?"

Mike thankfully was startled out of his misery by a familiar voice. Jun, Noble team's reserved sniper had been sitting quietly in his room the whole time.

"How long I been out?" Mike asked, realizing that perhaps his recollections were not as clear as he'd thought. He did remember Jun returning to save him from the Sinovet Ship Breaking Complex after the _Pillar of Autumn_ and the precious cargo he'd been carrying had gotten away safely. He remembered being on the Pelican leaving the scene but after that he'd passed out.

"About two days," the somber, bald Spartan responded, loading and unloading a magazine for his SRS99 AM Sniper Rifle despite being dressed only in black BDUs and carrying no weapon. "Docs weren't sure you were going to make it but I knew you would. You're too stubborn to die," he chuckle to himself, blue eyes dancing.

 _I guess I am_ , Mike thought to himself. He'd always fatalistically thought he'd had a death wish but he now realized that had been false. He had a strong reason to not just exist but to live as he'd never done for most of his life. This was a game changer for him.

Mike also realized he wasn't the only one processing what had happened on Reach as he watched the bald-headed Noble team member continue to fiddle with the large mag. The few that had survived the slaughter would be changed forever by what they'd experienced. Or at least as long as their forever had lasted.

Two days...it felt like a lifetime.

Then it all came back to him…the desperate flight to bring the Smart AI Cortana to be extracted from the planet, Commander Carter sacrificing himself so they could get there, the fight to hold the loading dock, the image of the Energy Sword being thrust through Emile and then Mike staying behind to provide covering fire with the Mass Driver. Then the words of Dr. Halsey, who had given them the mission, came back:

 _She chose you._

Unlike Natalia.

A grim reality again invaded his thoughts. But she had chosen him, hadn't she? The attractive woman had professed that she loved him and he'd expressed similar feelings for her. They'd connected in a way that he'd never had with another woman. Sure, there had been Melanie at Camp Currahee but they were teenagers. Yes, the enhancements the Spartan III's went through changed more than their bodies. But this was different, it was deeper. There was more than a physical hunger though that was present, for sure. No, this was a deep emotional longing, spiritual even perhaps, to connect with someone and walk together as one. No, despite the carnage and horror of Reach they'd each found something incredibly special.

Then it had been taken from him.

The image of the simpering ONI officer forcing Natalia onto the Pelican at New Alexandria and her letting him set an edge to the conflicted Spartan and eroded the happiness of his previous thoughts. Plus much had changed since she left Reach even though it had been, what, nine days ago? It seemed like a lifetime. Yes, Natalia had walked with him through Jorge's death, when the big Spartan II had stayed behind on their mission triggering the explosion that destroyed a Covenant Supercarrier rather than him. It had been during that time their relationship changed from antagonistic to one of, dare he think, love.

But much had changed.

She had left before Kat had been killed by a sniper, before Commander Carter sacrificed himself to get them to the Aszod Ship Breaking Yards and finally before Emile had stayed in place to give them the shot they needed to complete the final mission. His death had been the hardest for Mike. The volatile Noble Four had been antagonistic towards Mike early on in the battle but they'd grown close, like brothers towards the end.

Before.

And Natalia missed all of that.

She'd missed it because she was away safe, daddy's little princess, receiving the benefits of privilege. Bitterness grew within the man as a resentment of what happened lodged itself like bile in his throat.

A female officer strode purposefully into his room in the Sick Bay and moved towards Mike interrupting his dark thoughts. She was just under six feet tall with dark hair and though attractive had an intensity about her. The three gold braids on her uniform denoted she was the captain of the ship.

"How are you feeling?" she asked in a firm voice that still showed genuine interest.

"I'll live, ma'am," Mike replied.

"I'm Commander Miranda Keyes. Your name's Mike, isn't it?"

He nodded his head, surprised the officer would not address him by his rank or title.

"So you were the one who delivered the package to the _Pillar of Autumn_?" she asked, absently pushing a loose strand of her shoulder length hair behind her ear.

"Yes ma'am."

"And so you got to speak to the captain of the _Autumn_?"

Then the connection came to him. They both were named Keyes which meant they were likely related. She was likely in her late twenties which meant this could have been her father. The look of anxiety on her professional demeanour showed the insightful Spartan was correct.

"I did, briefly, ma'am," Mike responded. "We met at the exchange of the package. He looked good and had things under control. I gave him what he'd come for and then he took off back to his ship. You'll likely know already they made it away from Reach."

"I do," she confirmed, a look of relief sweeping over her striking face, "I also know that you stayed behind and provided cover fire for them when you could have left. Thank you."

Mike smiled, a bit of warmth coming into his aching heart. "I was just doing my job. But you're welcome."

Commander Keyes nodded her head in appreciation at the simple response and said, "Take care of yourself Mike and get yourself healed up. We need you in the fight. The ship got banged up pretty bad fighting our way out of orbit from Reach so it's going to take us a bit longer to get to where we're going so use the time to rest." She began to turn to walk out but stopped and looked back, adding, "And if you need anything, let me know."

With that the woman turned and walked out of his room.

"Looks like you made an impression on the lady," Jun commented wryly. "I guess I must have been a piece of furniture."

Despite the pain Mike couldn't help but chuckle at the sarcastic comment but he did note the particular attention the officer had paid him.

 _We need you in the fight._

The words resonated with him and reminded him anew that as horrible as the situation had been on Reach out of it he'd learned some things. Like a refiner's fire he had discovered he had value to others besides his ability to kill. He also could care and be cared for, valued for who he was not just what he could do. He had purpose and a life worth living. No, he definitely wanted to carry on.

Then a dark cloud choked out the light of the moment as he thought about the scene of a daughter almost desperate to get information on her father and thought of his own family. Involuntarily his hand went to where he carried a faded medal in a utility pouch on his armour. He realized he wasn't wearing it and in a moment of panic wondered if the heirloom had been lost. Then he spied a bag with his effects on a table on the other side of his room and instinctively knew that it was there. Mike chuckled to himself, causing him to wince in pain, at the irony of the response. For years he'd treated the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to the ancestor he'd been named after in the 21st century like a millstone around his neck, an impossible legacy he could never live up to. But now he felt free of that legacy and in fact it now encouraged him to look with pride on the heritage he represented and draw strength from it. No, the medal was now precious to him.

Still, the memory of how he'd gotten it brought back a pain even greater than the wounds he'd received on Reach. He'd been living on the planet Kholo at the time. His father was an officer in the garrison on that planet where he'd lived with his mother and two sisters. He'd been going on a field trip to Earth and among the sites the group was going to visit was the site of the Battle of Los Angeles in 2011 where his ancestor, a US Marine sergeant, had saved the city and by extension many said the world and so had been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. His father had given him the precious item before he'd left to help him connect more with the story from ancient history. Mike still remembered his father kneeling before him at the space port in his uniform to say goodbye.

"Michael," his father has said to him earnestly, looking with both affection but serious intent as he gave him the medal in its case, "this was handed to me by my father who got it from his father and so on. It's a sacred trust and sacred reminder that this family serves. We serve the cause of right and justice, ideas that may be lost in the 26th century but are still needed today as much as they were then. The blood of this man courses through your veins, you have his strength and my strength and that gives you power. But never, ever Mike, use that power for evil, only for good, and you will continue to honor what our family stands for. That's how we leave a legacy that far outlasts our brief time in this world." His father then got a sheepish look on his face at the speech he'd given, tossled his son's sandy brown hair and said, "And have fun. See you in two weeks."

That was the last time he saw him or the rest of his family.

It was the year 2539 and a week into the trip the Covenant attacked the poorly defended human-colonized world easily defeating the outgunned forces and then glassed the planet.

Mike's school group was diverted to Reach where he received the stunning news. It was there in the rage and confusion, with his father's words about legacy echoing in his ears and the medal burning in. his pocket, that he met a UNSC Army officer named James Ackerson who'd recruited him into the Spartan program. On the planet Onyx he'd been introduced to things no child of nine should have. He'd faced the torment of their training NCO, Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez, he'd gone through the grief of the loss of his family though he did end up sharing it with his teammates, including Kat, who'd died on Reach too. It seemed like everyone he ever cared about was taken from him. He'd also gone through the painful augmentation process where his body was changed to physically give him the shape of a Spartan.

But it was his mind that ultimately made him into the super soldier of legend. He never forgot. Every challenge, every ounce of pain he turned into aggression and so when he'd left Camp Currahee prematurely for early assignment he'd been ready to go, eager even. Besides, he thought he'd do the job and then be reunited with his teammates for deployment. Instead, almost the entire whole of Beta Company, his new family, was lost on Pegasi Delta during Operation Tornado.

Once again, Mike Nantz was alone and so he became the Lone Wolf, keeping everyone else out in order to not hurt like that again. He'd endured incredible physical pain but that was nothing to the pain that seared his heart. Then he'd opened the door to his heart again on Reach and began to feel. The result was the loss of Noble Team except for Jun and even harder to stomach, Natalia. He chided himself for allowing this to happen. The pain wasn't worth it. Yet in the ashes of misery a spark lit. Jun had come back for him. He'd risked death and being left behind to come back for Mike even though he didn't know if the Lone Wolf still lived. You don't do that for a fellow soldier, or even for a team mate, you do that for a brother.

Mike Nantz had been carrying a family legacy with him ever since his father had given him the medal but now he was beginning to see there were things worth fighting for besides that, like family.

The medal. It wasn't there, no, it had been left behind!

In a panic Mike sat bolt upright, pain lancing his body but he didn't feel it instead frantically patting himself like he was swatting ants all over his body to find the cherished heirloom, his only remaining tie to his family.

Jun put a reassuring hand on Mike's shoulder. "You looking for this?" he asked quietly, holding out the faded Congressional Medal of Honor.

Mike calmed instantly as he took the precious item in his trembling hand and lay back down on the berth suddenly aware of the pain coursing through his body.

"I figured you'd be looking for this at some point", Jun stated simply, "So I grabbed it as the med techs were stripping your armor."

"Thanks," was all that Mike could get out, genuinely touched anew by the efforts of the quiet man.

The pair sat in silence for several minutes, allowing the moment to soak in.

"So what do you think happens now?" Mike asked, finally breaking the silence, unsure of what the future held but trying not to fall back into his previous pattern of fatalistic despair.

"I don't know. We get reassigned I guess," Jun said quietly, looking down at the metal deck. "I've been with Noble so long, they were family to me."

Mike pondered the statement for a moment. He didn't really have the bald sniper's experience but he had begun to feel it so had some sense of what it was like. "Sorry man, that sucks."

"Not your fault," Jun shrugged, "it's just war."

"You're right, but it still sucks." Mike was relieved that the Noble Team member didn't blame him for some reason for their deaths. For some strange reason a burden of guilt seemed to dog him.

"What sucks is the wakeup call the people of Earth are about to get."

"What do you mean?" Mike asked.

"Reach was a buffer zone between it and the Covenant. The walls been broken down," Jun declared.

"Yea, but that's only if they find it," Mike countered with a false optimism. A cold dread started to creep up his spine. "The Cole Protocol will keep them away."

Jun snorted. "It worked pretty well for Reach, didn't it?. Trust me dude, it's only a matter of time."

The statement sent a cold chill throughout Mike and a grim reality to the Spartan. Though Reach had fallen he was still alive and still in the fight. No, he couldn't defeat the Covenant on his own but he could do his part. Time to stop wallowing in self-pity, he told himself, and prepare to do what he could. A steely resolve settled over Mike Nantz.

As if reflecting that Jun turned to him from the porthole window he'd been looking out and announced, "Looks like we're here."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Date: September 6, 2552, Time 11:45hrs, ODA-142 Cairo Station, 35,900KM above Earth**

Half a kilometre long and one-and-a-half times as wide the Orbital Defense Platform seemed to lazily move along its geosynchronous orbit above Earth. One of 300 such facilities brought online for the protection of the planet the place stood as a formidable barrier to any who would try to reach the home of humanity. Prominent on the structure was the Mark V 'Super' MAC gun, capable of firing a 3000-ton Ferric-Tungsten round clear through a shielded Covenant capital ship. As impressive as the array was, this was lost on the UNSC ship moving to dock. _In Amber Clad_ limped to the safety of the station docking so its passengers could be disembarked. With a dull thud not heard in space the damaged Stalwart-class light frigate nosed in.

As technicians swarmed over the vessel to begin to affect repairs the crew and passengers began to disembark. Mike and Jun left the ship with the other survivors of the Battle of Reach. Hospital gurneys were waiting to transport the wounded to the sick bay. A Med Tech approached Mike and put an arm on him to direct him to a stretcher. Mike glared fiercely in response and the slender orderly backed off, much to the amusement of Jun.

"You really don't know how to play the game, Wolf," the sniper deadpanned. "Get wheeled over to sick bay, find a pretty nurse, groan a little. Oh man, you'll be set up."

"I don't need any more help," Mike grunted in reply, missing the jest of his teammate. In truth Noble 6 still needed medical attention though the trip from Reach and the care he'd received in the frigate's infirmary had helped a lot. Still, he needed something to do, purpose, to keep the ghosts that had been haunting him since leaving the planet at bay.

An administrative officer stood at the end of the ramp-way directing those not part of the frigate's crew. Spotting Jun he ordered, "You're going to be lodged in Habitat Delta." Looking at Mike without emotion, added, "Sickbay."

The tone of voice grinded at the warrior already on a razor's edge of grief, pain and lack of sleep. "Listen pal," the 6' 9" Spartan retorted, grabbing the clerk's arm a bit too hard causing the slender man to gasp.

"Attention! Officer on the deck!"

The booming voice commanded respect and Mike let the wincing clerk go and turned to where the order had come from.

"As you were," a softer but authoritative voice responded.

Mike was shocked to see Fleet Admiral Lord Terrance Hood stride purposefully into the bay area. Though in full dress uniform and chest bristling with medals, he had no pretense about him. Despite a wrinkled and weathered face that showed the strains of senior command in a long war Hood's blue eyes still had a boyish sparkle to them. Yet a dark air overwhelmed these compelling features as he looked at the remnant coming back from Reach.

Going to a wounded Marine he bent over the gurney and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you son?" Seeing the man couldn't answer he turned to the attendant and ordered briskly, "Make sure you look after him, got it?"

Hood's eyes filled with tears as he repeated the ritual, taking a moment to speak to every person coming off the ship.

Mike couldn't help but be impressed by the act of genuine compassion and concern. "Wow…," he couldn't help but say.

"The admiral's been doing that for every ship that's come in for processing after Reach," the officer who Mike had wanted to throttle only moments early stated, hearing the Spartan's declaration. "And sorry by the way for the tone, it's been a long couple of days for us here but nothing compared to what you guys went through."

"No, it's me who should be apologizing," Mike responded, rubbing his temples and suddenly realizing how weary he was. "You were just doing your job."

"Thanks," the smaller officer responded, "I appreciate that. I want you to know I appreciate all you Spartans have done. My name's Kaminski. If you need anything, let me know."

"I would echo the captain's sentiments," Hood declared, interjecting into the conversation.

Mike stiffened to salute.

"Take it easy, lieutenant," Hood cut him off before he could do it. "I've heard already about what you did all over the planet but in particular helping the _Pillar of Autumn_ get away. Well done son." Seeing his wounds, the admiral added, you get well. We're not out of this fight and we'll need you healthy and in it. Glad you made it out."

"Thank you sir," Mike responded, touched by the famous admiral's kind words and confidence. Yet guilt blanketed him before he could even enjoy the moment. What had he done? Kill some Covenant? Sure but all from Noble except Jun were dead and the planet had still be lost. He'd done nothing in the end. Images from the last month began to overwhelm him and the tough Spartan felts his knees begin to buckle involuntarily. In the end, Mike-B312 would not go to the infirmary in a gurney, but he would in a wheelchair.

 **September 8, 2552 14:23 Hours, Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Mike was alive

Natalia Misriah's heart skipped a beat then in a nanosecond exploded into her throat. Overwhelmed, she closed her eyes, not daring to believe what she'd read. Her mind played a million tricks on her until she opened them again and looked at the list of survivors extracted from the debacle on Reach aboard the frigate _In Amber Clad_.

And Mike's name was on the list.

Before she could contain herself the intense woman instinctively let out a primal scream that caused others in her department to come out of their offices and two security officers to charge into the area with hands on their side arms. She didn't care. A smile lit up her attractive face and the processed air suddenly seemed fresher. For the first time in days she felt like she could truly breathe again. Her life, it seemed, could begin anew.

 **Date: September 10, 2552, Time 10:15hrs, ODA-142 Cairo Station, 35,900KM above Earth**

Mike stayed in the station hospital for the week but recovered quickly. By the end he was moving around and already starting physiotherapy to repair the motor damage that had been caused from his last stand. Jun had come to see him every day but as the week went on the quiet sniper had seemed to become more agitated.

Mike had noticed but was so focused on his recovery he didn't give it a lot of thought. He knew his teammate had gone through as much as he did, perhaps even more, so gave him some space.

The Lone Wolf was finally cleared to leave hospital, although he was to be on light duties for another two weeks. Again Jun had come to see him and this time Mike decided to speak since he again noticed the tension.

"What's going on Jun?" Mike asked

The Spartan rubbed his bald head. "I don't know for sure. The aftermath of something like this, I guess. All I know is ONI's starting to poke around and things are tense here. I've been ordered to the surface but I refused until I knew you would be okay."

Mike was genuinely touched by the concern of his fellow Noble teammate. He was about to ask for more details when an army captain walked in officiously and declared to Mike, ""There's a senior officer wanting to meet you in Commons R-01 right away." Turning to Jun he added, "You also have you orders A266. Just because you're a Spartan doesn't give you special privileges."

Jun snorted as the officer wheeled around officiously and left. "Pompous prick. Listen, I'll go and sort this stuff out. You have your meeting and we can reconnect and figure out what to do next. Talk to you soon."

Jun left as did Mike for his meeting. Despite it feeling good to be leaving the hospital something told him he was about to enter into something worse. Call it combat instinct, he didn't know, but his feelings had kept him alive all these years and he knew something was up.

Walking into the meeting room he knew his internal radar was still functioning properly.

"Good to see you, Mike," an Army colonel with light brown hair with flecks of grey strode forward and extended his hand.

Mike hadn't seen him for years and though the officer had aged he didn't forget.

Ackerson.

"Colonel," Mike stiffened and saluted but did not take the offered hand. He remembered more than the man. He still remembered the first time they'd met, on Reach, which was likely now nothing more than black ash. He remembered James Ackerson in the trim uniform coming up to him as he stood alone, crying, after the memorial service to those killed on planet Kholo. He was a child burning with rage and feeling impotent so had been an easy target for the opportunistic soldier. Though already offered a positon at the prestigious Corbulo Academy of Military Science he wanted to act now. His youth made it easy for the shrewd Ackerson to convince him to volunteer for the program the man spoke about.

The others hadn't been so lucky.

Most others had been kidnapped. Still, Mike's anger had helped him overcome the initial shock and dismay of the Spartan training his teammates struggled with. He'd learned, he'd grown and he'd survived the alteration process and so lived to be standing here before the man that had started this journey. For a moment he wondered what life would have been like if he'd said no, if he'd taken another path. But that was a fool's errand, pointless, since he had and here he was. He didn't have the luxury for speculative history.

Ackerson looked at the Spartan carefully but said nothing, as if he could read the man's mind. Then, as if he'd seen something that would allow him to proceed the cagey army officer spoke. "Damn shame what happened on Reach. No one saw that coming."

"Yes sir," Mike mumbled, avoiding eye contact. Though the colonel was only making small talk the perceptive Spartan already learned what he'd suspected about the state of UNSC Intel on the Covenant. It didn't give him a warm feeling.

"Anyways, despite the tragedy of Reach there were some strategic successes and lessons learned that we want to build on. The team concept, for instance, with the Spartans far exceeded expectations. Noble Team did superior work."

"They were, sir," Mike agreed but then added bitterly, "and it was too bad they were wasted there."

"Wasted?" Ackerson deflected the jab easily, "I'd say they were hardly wasted. It was a critical moment for the UNSC. Who else would you have there?"

Mike had to agree with the logic. The Spartans were the best, but he remained silent.

"And when we get the Intel that's on the _Pillar of Autumn_ that you secured it'll be a game changer," Ackerson added.

"When?" Mike responded in surprise. "You mean it's not back yet? Where it is?"

The ferocity of the Spartan's questions caused even the seasoned officer to take a step back involuntarily.

"It had to jump when it tried to leave Reach but it'll be back soon enough," Ackerson said with a confidence his face didn't display.

That was the last straw for Mike. He could see in his mind Carter's Pelican going down, and Emile battling the Elites on the platform to allow the _Autumn_ to leave but eventually dying all the same. And it had all been for nothing. He'd thought their sacrifices would make a difference and now he found out the reality. Reach had fallen despite everything everyone did and next it would be Earth.

"As I was saying," Ackerson tried to get the conversation back on track seeing the deflation of the Spartan, "the team concept employed by Noble with the Spartans worked well and so Command has decided to continue on with it."

"Meaning?" Mike asked woodenly, not really caring but wanting any type of distraction.

"Meaning you will choose and form a new team patterned after Noble."

"What?" Mike was shaken from his funk, stunned by the declaration. "Why me? I have no command experience."

"Your work on Reach was exemplary, Mike. The team kept us in the fight longer than we probably should have. Noble was a force multiplier and god knows we need that these days. We therefore want to form more teams with such a dynamic. You are the obvious choice to lead one of them."

"Yea, and what if I don't want to? I was under the command of Colonel Holland and part of SPECWAR/Group Three and so I fall under that chain of command now, not yours."

Tall and thin, with a shrewd look on his face, Ackerson ran a hand through his brown hair. Brown eyes narrowing he declared, "That's true lieutenant but who do you think he reports to? Regardless, necessity dictates so you're going and you're going to do this." But then he looked at the determined Spartan and realized that would never work. So, relenting, the colonel changed his mind. "I don't want to force you Mike. I want you all in. So if you don't want to…well, I'll respect that. But I want you to realize that you're the right man for the job and we need this team."

Ackerson finished, leaving the ball in Mike's court. The Spartan was conflicted. He wanted back in the fight and the idea of leading was both compelling and terrifying to him. His eyes roamed around the simply furnished meeting room, how those scurrying around avoided the conversation but several couldn't help but stare at the Spartan despite the fact he was out of armor. What was it he saw in their looks? Admiration? No, it was deeper than that.

Confidence.

That's what it was. The soldiers and sailors going about their business suddenly seemed to have a bit more of a spring in their step, despite the devastating news about Reach and the very real threat that loomed. Suddenly, Mike Nantz, the Lone Wolf, realized something that had occurred to him on Reach but he hadn't had the luxury of time to process-he did care and it did matter to him what happened. Their destruction might be an inevitability but he'd be damned if he didn't go down without a fight. He'd made his decision.

"Okay colonel, I'll do it," Mike confirmed.

"Excellent," Ackerson breathed a barely audible sigh of relief, "you're cleared to travel so we'll leave for Mars in two hours where you'll meet your candidates, pick your team and begin their final training in prep for deployment."

 _Two hours?_ Mike thought. _I wonder what their hurry is._ _They sure move fast._ It was happening fast but maybe that was a good thing. It was time to get back into motion and chase off the demons starting to haunt him. _So be it_. ""What about training at Onyx?" he said instead, curious about the location and timings.

"Too far from the fight. In fact I've transferred most of the recent complement of Gamma Company to this theatre. You'll be picking your team from them in fact. And you're being promoted effective immediately. Congratulations lieutenant-commander," Ackerson declared.

Mike was stunned by the news and the rapidity of what was going on. Things were moving too fast for him. He'd hoped to have the opportunity to look some people up while he was here or at least know where they were. Now it seemed he'd be unable to do even that. And promoted? Either they really wanted him or they were desperate. Probably a bit of both he thought. Then he realized the timing and the connection to his remaining Noble Team member. "What about Jun?"

Ackerson flinched a bit. "He's going in a different direction and won't be part of this."

"But"

"I have my orders, so do you."

So that was the way it was going to be. He'd likely never seen Jun again or even get to say goodbye. That was the life of a Spartan. Knowing arguing was futile he began to switch gears to the new challenge ahead.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **September 10, 2552 13:15 Hours, Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Captain Serin Osman moved hesitantly into the office of the Commander-in-Chief of Naval Intelligence yet knew she had to deliver the news that was going to make CINCONI unhappy. Best to get it over with.

Margaret Parangosky instinctively knew something was amiss with her black haired assistant and protégé. Putting down the tea she'd been sipping the perceptive woman also closed the data terminal she'd been studying.

Osman stood in front of the admiral's lacquered antique desk and waited for her boss to speak but instead Parangosky sat looking at her with unblinking eyes like a cat sizing up a mouse.

Finally, Osman knew she had to speak. "I have secured A266-Jun and he's here at Bravo-6 but unfortunately I was not able to secure B312-Mike."

"What?" the admiral reacted, springing angrily from her seat with a quickness her 91 years should not have had.

At 6 foot 3 inches Osman towered over the withered old lady and yet despite the closeness of their relationship Captain Osman recoiled out of arm's reach. "Yes ma'am. It appears as if someone got to B-312 before we could. I found out…"

Parangosky cut her administrative assistant off with the snap of her finger. "Black Box," she called out to her personal AI.

"So you finally decided to come to me, did you, admiral?" the formless Artificial Intelligence declared with an oily voice. While other AI's took on human avatars Black Box eschewed what it thought to be such a slave-like posture and instead presented itself as a formless box.

"That's enough BB," Parangosky, cut the AI off as well. "I don't have time for your pretense. Find Mike-B312."

It took the AI only a matter of seconds. Able to hack into every electronic system in the UNSC it wasn't hard. "Spartan-B312, Mike is enroute to planet Mars on the frigate _Coral Sea_."

"And who is he with?" she asked, suspecting the answer already.

"Colonel James Ackerson is the officer who cut the joining orders."

"Ackerson," the admiral growled angrily.

"That's not a problem, ma'am," Osman countered. "Spartan III's are still part of Beta-5 Division. That makes him ONI. So we send a team and go get him."

"We can't do that."

Osman was surprised. Despite towering over the fragile looking old woman the former Spartan II candidate feared her.

The perceptive admiral caught the look and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction at the reaction. She genuinely liked Serin Osman but that didn't mean she also didn't want to be feared. "Because captain he now falls under Special Warfare Command, is that not correct, BB?"

"Yes admiral he is now under their chain of command," Black Box confirmed.

"Which means that falls under HIGHCOM."

"I still don't see why that's a problem, ma'am," Osman asked, sensing she was allowed to question the decision. "That's never stopped us before."

"True, but since the fall of Reach some things have changed….for the time being anyway," Parangosky added with a sigh. "The other admirals are quite aware of what's going on and sensitive to what could be perceived as outside interference." She paused, calmly thinking, calculating. Neither Osman nor Black Box spoke, knowing not to interfere with the dangerous woman when she was scheming.

Yet inside Margaret Parangosky was seething with rage. She had a plan and she'd wanted the Lone Wolf to be part of it. Jun was secondary and not of real interest to her. The prize she sought had been Mike. This stripped several layers of possibility from what she'd wanted. The shrewd admiral weighed the possibility of Captain Osman's suggestion. She knew she could get away with it. Ackerson would squawk and the other admirals would protest but she knew she could win the day. It wasn't that which held her back. No, what she did would be in the light and that would put her on the radar of others in a way she didn't want. For her plans to work she needed to be in the shadows. This was too much light. _So be it,_ she thought to herself, _but mark this, Ackerson will pay for this at some point._

"Very well. We move forward with our plans without him and cast the Lone Wolf to the fates," Parangosky declared. The she settled back into her overstuffed leather chair with a dangerously serene look on her face. "Now bring this Jun in to me. I want to get to know him."

 **Date: September 10, 2552, Time 17:35hrs, UNSC** _ **Coral Sea**_ **, on approach to Mars**

Mike sat in his quarters looking over the files on the datapad for the fifth time. _Where should I start? Who should I pick? What really was I even looking for? Would I receive any support and assistance?_ All these thoughts and more swirled through the head of the troubled man.

He had a pool of seventy-five Spartan III's from Gamma Company already en-route to Mars. He was to pick five. How do you make such a decision? He had no experience with this. True, he'd been a squad leader during training at Camp Curahee but that was training. He felt comfortable leading but picking and administering? That was another deal.

For years he'd been trying to live down the Nantz family legacy. He could almost feel the medal in the utility pouch on his armor. Yet now he wondered what his legacy would be.

Promoted to senior field rank and now with the pick of the litter.

If he blew it, if he blew this assignment, how would he be remembered for posterity? But then remembering what happened to Reach and how easily the Covenant had blown through the planet's defenses and fleet it seemed humanity didn't stand much of a chance so perhaps it wouldn't be remembered that long.

 _I'm becoming quite the philosopher_ , Mike thought to himself. _That's a luxury I won't have for much longer._ Still, it was good to think and think for himself. Something had been awakened on Reach, something he'd kept bottled up for a long time. His interaction with Noble Team, with Natalia and others had changed him. He thought of the cute medic named Mandy he'd met, the unusual Army Sergeant Buckah and the ODST Gunny Pete Stacker. All had touched him in one way or another, they'd impacted him. And that was the point to all of this. Yes, they might lose the fight but until that time he would open his eyes for the last time and enter into the next realm he was in life, in the fight and so being shaped and shaping life around him. Everyone dies at some point, that is a 100% guarantee, but what you do with the time you have speaks to who you are and how you are remembered. What he did mattered and Mike Nantz, Spartan-B312 knew that he had the opportunity to matter as all people do if they so choose. So this assignment mattered. He would give himself 100% to the task ahead and leave the rest to the divine.

 _Quite the philosopher indeed._

Colonel Ackerson slept peacefully near him in the wardroom oblivious to the turmoil his new team commander went through. He hadn't given Mike any details or who or how to choose.

 _Oh well, time enough to sort that out when we're on the ground._

True to the Army officer's word, they'd hopped a flight on the corvette escorting a supply convoy to Mars within the two hour window. There was a sense of urgency it seemed in Ackerson that Mike was able to discern despite the colonel's attempts to mask it. There was more to this story then he was being told. Wasn't that always the way, though?

Mike looked out a porthole of the corvette that would drop them off on Mars and then carry on to Earth to be part of the home fleet. The distinctive red clay of the planet could be seen but there were now many patches of green and blue that also dominated the landscape, a testimony to the successful terraforming that had gone on and made the planet habitable. Colonized for nearly 200 years the planet boasted a population of over 800 million people. While it had started as an agricultural base the dominant industry now was weapon's production. Either by chance or in honor of the namesake of the planet, a large amount of UNSC armaments came from that planet making it a hive of activity. Firmly in UNSC command it still had a checkered past where a bloody war for dominantion had been fought just over 100 years ago. But now it was a vital part of the family.

Passing Phobos, one of the planet's moons, Mike began to wonder anew if he'd made the right decision. His period of being a philosopher/Spartan melted away as soon as it had entered as the reality of the situation before him overrode the theory. Sure, he now held rank but he'd never really commanded troops since his times as a trainee on Onyx. Any leadership he'd shown had been instinctive and circumstantial. There had been times where he'd led some parties on missions but there had never been any constant. Then on Reach he'd had the luxury of serving under Commander Carter, a man who knew how to lead. He missed Carter and lamented they'd not had more time together. Initially their relationship had been coolly professional, even a bit wary, but he felt in the end they'd almost become friends.

If only…

Mike didn't have the indulgence of such thoughts. He had an assignment to carry out, no, it was more. It was an expectation that he'd recreate Noble Team with a bunch of rookies.

No pressure of course.

He took Emile's kukri out of the sheath he'd had made and attached to his armor. Running his gloved hand along the razor sharp blade it reminded him of the volatile Spartan who had sparred with him early on but in the end had become a brother. Could he recreate such an atmosphere? That they'd die for each other?

Mike thought back to the late spring when the idea of him joining Noble Team had been presented by Colonel Ackerson. He'd come off a particularly tricky mission and had hoped for a bit of down time, or else an easier assignment. Instead he had the opportunity to stand silently as the colonel and his training NCO Chief Mendez argued about what to do next.

"ONI command wants him inserted into Noble as its new 2ic on Reach," Ackerson stated with a groan, "while his status is being reviewed."

"Status? Hell, the boy has done everything we asked him to," Mendez growled. "And now we're going to 'review'? This is crap, sir."

"Well, there's concern he's perhaps becoming too much of a lone wolf. They want him on a shorter chain."

Mendez grunted and shook his head incredulously at the statement but held his tongue.

"He'd also be supplanting an existing chain-of-command and replacing a recently deceased teammate. That's never easy to do within a team," Ackerson continued.

Mendez snorted, not able to hold his tongue anymore. "And when has that ever been a problem for ONI?" Then he looked directly at the superior officer and added, "Or us for that that matter?"

"None the less, it does pose a bit of a problem."

"Reach is a soft assignment and Noble's a good team. What's wrong with that?" Mendez responded, a bit perplexed.

"Mike has been too long used to working on his own. He is a lone wolf and perhaps even a bit too aggressive for the team," Ackerson stated without emotion and with no feeling to the man he was criticizing being in the room.

The Spartan stood stoically but heard and felt the sting of the rebuke. It wasn't lost on him that he'd been made into what he was by the very man who criticized him.

"Too aggressive?" Mendez almost yelped, "Isn't that the point? Listen sir, we both know how good Mike is. Given the opportunity he could be a great leader. He's earned this." Then turning to Mike he added, "I think he'll do a fine job."

Mike's confidence grew with the compliment. He couldn't help but look with affection at the grizzled veteran who'd tormented him over the years. There were times he'd hated the NCO and even dreamed of killing him but now Mike saw something different, an almost fatherly affection and more important, confidence. Prior to this he had wanted to avoid the assignment and now he wanted to take it on to prove the confidence well placed.

Ackerson remained unmoved and responded, "Well it doesn't matter what we think. He's going to Reach and that's that."

The conversation seemed like it had happened four years ago, not four months. So much had gone on. He wondered what Chief Mendez would think of him now. He'd like to talk to him again, process some of the things that had transpired over the past few months. He had questions, thoughts that invaded his mind.

Like Natalia.

Natalia Misriah, an ONI officer and daughter of one of the richest men on Earth, had been assigned to Noble Team and joined the same time he did. Initially he'd seen her as a spoiled rich girl looking for some adventure, and in some ways he'd been correct. But there was more to the beautiful woman with penetrating emerald green eyes. There was a hunger in her eyes to be more than her father's daughter. At first she'd been a liability but Mike had taught her and she learned quickly, eager to soak up his experience.

Then it became more.

Somewhere along the line, Mike couldn't put his finger on when, they'd developed feelings for each other. Mike wondered if it could have been love. Just as they were about to explore just how deep their feelings were and where they might go the privileged woman had been plucked from battle at New Alexandria and whisked away to who knew where. He'd thought about trying to see if he could find her while he convalesced at the space station but something kept him from doing it- reality. The reality of who she was and who he was. This was no longer Reach and they were no longer thrown together in a desperate situation. She was a Misriah and ONI. He was a Spartan and expendible. A dark look marred his chiseled features causing the long scar on the right side of his jaw to almost glow white. He couldn't afford the luxury of such thoughts so he pushed them aside, or tried to anyway, looking anew at the list of candidates on his datapad and preparing himself for the new legacy not of his choosing to come.

 **Date: September 10, 2552 17:35 Hours, Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia had spent the last two days in utter frustration and anguish which was not a good combination for the volatile woman. After the discovery earlier that Mike was alive she became almost torn apart by the thought of what to do with the information. She had been able to easily discover that _In Amber Clad_ had docked at Cairo Station.

Mike was so close and yet so far. He may as well have been back on Reach. Natalia could find no more information out about him. Indeed she had to be careful. The intelligent woman knew that there were several AI's likely monitoring that kind of information and she needed to have an idea of what she was going to do before she tipped her hand. Beside the regular AI's that scrutinized data traffic for ONI there was Admiral Parangosky's dangerous AI Black Box and her own father's annoying one, Niccola? Despite the early progress the father and daughter had made on repairing their strained relationship he seemed to be back to his old tricks, scheming and manipulating. Plus, MacKenzie, her ex-boyfriend, had begun trying to woo her back. So yes, she needed to proceed carefully with this vital information. Though not really an intelligence officer she'd been around the community long enough to pick up some things. So she coolly went about her business, tried to glean information from what did pass her desk and plotted.

Still, it was incredibly difficult for the driven woman to remain calm. She ached to see Mike again. Every time she moved she felt the id tags he'd placed in her hand as she was being extracted from Reach caress her breasts. Of late she'd found herself fantasizing that it was his hands. Again she'd caught herself being lost in that delicious thought. Her breathing had become deep and husky so she had to force herself back to reality. Fortunately since she'd come back from Reach there had been little expectation of her in terms of work. Once a favorite of the admiral and seen as a rising star it seemed as if her ship had sailed. The now-enlightened woman didn't care, she liked it that way. Somehow she had to find out where Mike was and then find a way to see him. He'd want to see her. He had to want to see her as much as she wanted to see him.

But would he?

She'd left, and he'd been forced to stay. By now she'd learned that only Jun had survived from Noble Team besides Mike and her heart sunk every time she thought of them. She remembered how they'd treated her with open contempt and derision when she'd first arrived on planet but she'd earned their trust, as she had Mike's and been treated like one of the team by the end. And now they were dead.

 _Spoiled little rich girl_

The voice whispered in her ear, condemning her as it did almost every day. _Privileged, sheltered, pampered_ ….all the words bit into her like piranha.

"No!" she cried out involuntarily.

"Excuse me, lieutenant-commander?" a voice countered.

Natalia became aware that Captain Osman was standing in her office looking at her with a penetrating look. Embarrassed, she tried to avoid the penetrating look by shifting her gaze to the file that had been open on her desk for over an hour. "Nothing ma'am, just talking to myself."

Serin Osman watched the privileged woman's face redden and her avoid the challenge. The perceptive officer had always found Natalia Misriah to have an annoying habit of never backing down from a challenge, even if it were from a superior officer. This had irritated her but she knew the young woman was protected by her name and by Admiral Parangosky.

Not any more though.

"I came down to check on the report you're preparing on the readiness state of our Prowler fleet. I need those numbers for a command meeting the end of the week."

"It's almost done, ma'am. They'll be ready," Natalia responded without conviction.

"Is everything okay, Natalia?" Osman asked, trying to squeeze as much compassion into her tone as she could muster.

"Yes, fine. Just a bit tired," Natalia responded, "thank you for asking."

"Well, you went through a lot on Reach. It'll take you time to get your feet underneath you again." Osman almost gagged at the comment.

The perceptive officer was about to leave when she noticed something when she'd mentioned Reach. There was a spark, or a sort of twinkle, in the seemingly broken woman's eyes.

She knew.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **September 11, 2552, 0730 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike had already been up for several hours, the nerves from what he was about to do chasing sleep away. He'd been to the gym then gone for a run to burn off some of the growing energy. He had to admit it was nice to be on firm ground again and it lifted his spirits.

The candidates from Gamma Company had arrived early the previous evening and he'd watched them disembark at a distance from the Pelicans they'd come in on. Mike would meet them later in the morning and the selection process would begin. He'd also spent time reading reports on the previous training of the Spartan III's so a baseline of expectations could be established. The new commander was impressed at the changes and innovations that had happened since his own training days with Beta company year's earlier. This would have been due to Lt.-Commander Ambrose, their CO. Mike had always liked Kurt. The officer had incredible intuition and a genuine compassion for the trainees. The big Spartan II also had the respect of all due to his extensive combat experience. Mike couldn't help but sigh as he instinctively compared himself to Kurt, as he was already doing with Carter. Would he cut it? Could he do it?

 _I guess we'll find out soon enough._

Mike had an idea of what he was looking for in terms of team skills distribution. He'd found Noble Team well balanced and possessing the skill sets necessary to not only be a force multiplier but also stand-alone if needed. The tougher question was how to find the necessary steadiness for them to truly be a team. He had a sense from the detailed dossiers sent from Onyx of who could do what, Chief Mendez was pretty meticulous that way, but no one could say how they would stand up under the pressure of combat. They'd been organized into training teams just as he had with Beta Company so in all likelihood pulling from within the existing team structures would be the starting point.

Colonel Ackerson came into the office that had been set up as the team headquarters with a squat, aggressive looking NCO in tow. The senior officer had helped Mike pick his training staff but then would leave him alone to pick and train his new team. While Mike appreciated the autonomy he'd been given he also would have liked some oversight and help with the new assignment. But then command never made things easy for Spartans. Plus if he fell flat on his face or stepped into the thick stuff the colonel wouldn't be splashed with anything. Typical.

"Commander, I want to introduce you to your training DI for your time here on Mars," Ackerson began without ceremony, "this is Gunnery Sergeant Hank MacGregor. He'll work with you to prep your team for deployment."

"Sir," the dark featured ODST NCO replied politely with a thick Scottish brogue. He had close shorn black hair and dark piercing eyes. Short and stocky the trooper wore crisply pressed olive green Marine BDU's. But despite his formidable appearance the man's most pronounced feature was the absence of his hand and forearm below the left elbow.

"Well, now that the introductions are done I'll leave you two to get down to business. Keep me apprised of your progress and if you need anything." Ackerson left the room without ceremony leaving the two alone.

"Have a seat, gunny," Mike offered to MacGregor as he sat down himself.

The NCO moved in one fluid motion despite his size but sat ramrod straight, his back not touching the seat rest. Mike had seen a picture of the man and his profile from several that were presented to him as potential drill instructors for this mission. He'd liked what he'd seen in this man but now it was time to see if they were be a fit.

"Who'd you serve with?" Mike asked, wanting to break the ice and get down to business since they didn't have a lot of time before they were to meet the candidates.

"2nd of the 105th, sir," MacGregor responded proudly.

"Reach?"

"Aye, that's where this happened," MacGregor responded in his thick brogue, gesturing to his missing hand. "Hingehead got me on Viery Ridge."

"Sorry to hear that, gunny," Mike nodded sympathetically, remembering the desperate counter-attack by the UNSC forces that had cost them thousands of lives.

"Ach, it's the fates of war, sir. A lot of other good lads are buried there under the glass," the NCO shrugged. "I was lucky; mine got me with an Energy Sword. It were a nice clean cut."

Mike couldn't help but chuckle. "Well I'm glad you're with me then in this since you know what we're up against."

"Aye, I do sir. I was evac'd off planet after the battle and I plan on getting back in the fight when they get me a prosthetic that'll actually work," he declared confidently, holding up his stump. "They gave me one on the hospital ship but it didn't take. I couldn't get it to work, it was too tight. Unfortunately they couldn't get the right fit so a new one's on order. I guess they got a bit of a backlog," he surmised without any note of irony.

Mike nodded his head in understanding for the frustration of the situation but didn't say anything.

"But for now, I'm happy to be serving with you sir. I know what you did on Reach. You helped a lot of us live to fight another day," MacGregor stated. "But know I have no plans on getting too comfortable in civilization. I plan on being back at the front, just so you know me intentions, sir."

Mike nodded his head in approval, admiring the spunk of the ODST. Though his days as a Helljumper might be done the Spartan had no doubt the battered warrior had a lot of fight in him. That was good. He didn't plan on that for himself so didn't want anyone with a contrary vision. They'd get along just fine.

"Glad to hear it, gunny, I think we're on the same page. Now let's get at it."

"What's the plan?" MacGregor asked, relieved he'd be of use after injury. Though the aggressive ODST gave the impression of a confident return to service he was worried his new state would not only keep him out of action but disqualify him for any meaningful service. The opportunity to help the legendary Spartan training a new team was a god-send for the warrior who knew he still had some fight in him.

"We know they can all fight and we know what they can do technically from their chart. But what we don't know is their heart and how they'll work together," Mike explained. "While the program they put us on to enhance us into Spartans develops a certain uniformity that doesn't mean character traits are eliminated. In fact some of them can be amplified."

"Which means you're looking for the right fit for your team, sir," MacGregor finished.

"Exactly," Mike nodded, appreciative that the ODST seemed to be on the same train of thought. "So we need to figure out how to not only pick them but get them working as one in short order."

The challenge of the task hit Mike anew. He rubbed his chiselled face with exasperation and decided to be honest. "Listen gunny, let me be straight with you so you know what you've gotten yourself in to. I have absolutely no experience at this. I've been in single ops and small party warfare for years. I've put missions together but have never been on the personnel side of the equation. That's bad enough. Command is also expecting a new Noble Team like you can just order it up like a meal at a restaurant. I'm over my head here."

Mike paused for a moment, happy to have it off his chest and noticed the grizzled veteran was looking at him with a new level of respect so he laid out on the table his thoughts, "I need your help to pull this off or there's going to be more bodies scattered around the galaxy. This is going to be a co-operative effort, forget the chain of command on this. You see something that needs to be done, we do it. Don't hold back. I want the best qualified, best prepared team possible, got it?"

"Yes sir!" MacGregor barked out enthusiastically. The veteran was deeply moved by the honesty of the famous Spartan. The display of humility was something he'd rarely seen in his twenty-plus years serving in the UNSC. He knew why this man had been chosen for the task and he'd do everything in his power to help get him there. But he could also see doubt creeping around the periphery of the dangerous super soldier. Despite being a Spartan and having years or combat experience this was only a kid in many ways, in his early twenties. While he respected the record and abilities of Mike he also hated the UNSC in some ways for what they'd done to him and countless other children.

A fatherly concern came over MacGregor so he decided to speak into what he saw. "Takes a big man to admit that, sir, which means you're absolutely the right one for the job. You won't use those under your command foolishly or lightly." MacGregor ran a beefy hand over his close-cropped hair, "listen sir, I'm a bit of a student of history. Back in the 19th century there was a general who said during a terrible conflict that a good commander has to love his men and has to be willing to sacrifice what he loves the most. That creates a tension. Do ye know what I mean?"

Mike thought about the statement but rested more on the genuine concern shown by the senior NCO. He'd been tempted to crawl back into the shell of the Lone Wolf after losing Noble and losing Natalia but he saw the benefit of sharing his journey with others. Things began to brighten up for the troubled young man. "Thanks, I appreciate that a lot." He paused, allowing a sense of peace to come over him. Mike drew a deep breath. "As much as I'd like to continue this mutual admiration society," the statement elicited a snort from MacGregor, "we need to get down to the business of picking the team. Got any ideas on how to shake the good fruit off the tree?"

"Oh, I've got a few, sir," MacGregor replied with a wink.

An hour later Mike watched from a gangway in the open warehouse that would serve as their drill hall. AMG Transport Dynamics had given them usage of several buildings on their sprawling manufacturing facility in the large city so that would form their base of operation.

For some reason it seemed Colonel Ackerson had wanted to keep them off the grid so instead of them being on one of the military bases on Mars they were here in the manufacturing base. It didn't matter to Mike. In some ways he was happy to not be under the scrutiny of prying eyes. He'd been given three months to pick and then bring the team up to fighting readiness. Though tight, the timeframe wasn't unreasonable since all the candidates had successfully completed their training at Camp Currahee. This was not about training as much as it was building cohesion.

The warehouse's double metal, two-story roll-away doors were open revealing a cold, cloudy day. Rain spit down as wind whipped through the opening onto the polished concrete floor. The seventy-five Spartan III's clustered together mainly in their five-person training teams. As much as Mike tried to concentrate on the task at hand he was regrouping emotionally. Looking out the doors he could see beyond the compound they were in another larger factory that was in full production. It wasn't the noise that distracted him but the oversized, brightly lit 'Misriah' sign prominent on the top of the largest part of the structure. As much as he tried he couldn't help but wonder what Natalia was doing right now. He wondered if she even remembered him. She'd remember, he thought, it had only been a bit over a month, but what would she remember?

"Come on Mike," he said to himself, "get a grip on yourself, you've got to get over this."

Gunny MacGregor walked briskly up to him and pretended he hadn't heard the comment. "Candidates are assembled and ready to begin, sir." Then he gave a wicked grin. "Come on, let's have some fun with 'em."

The pair moved from their overhead perch to the warehouse floor, catching the eye of the gathered Spartans who instinctively quieted down and stood waiting for orders.

"Company, fall in," MacGregor's voice commanded, echoing through the building.

Automatically the candidates moved quickly into two precise rows. Mike was impressed. That would be Chief Mendez. He always loved drill.

The new commanding officer didn't say anything but walked up and down the line looking at the Spartans. Though physically impressive their faces showed youth. Wearing black BDU's and polished parade boots with forge caps they were an impressive physical sight. Still, Mike was reminded they were only around fourteen years old. Each looking confidently ahead, not moving. They'd gone through years of hard training to bring them to this point but yet they were still teenagers. They shouldn't be about to go through what he would take them into, they should be thinking about dating, games and dreaming of the future.

But this was war and it had happened to him too. Without them there would be no future to dream about

"Welcome to Mars and to this training facility. My name is Commander Mike-B312. You are here as candidates for a new Special Operations Team forming that I will lead. Only five will be selected, the rest of you will move on to other assignments. I'm sure you can watch the news so you know what kind of situation we're in. I was on Reach and I can tell you first-hand how desperate it is." He let the words sink in before he continued. "Our job will be to go into situations others are not able to. We will be the sharp end of the spear, to close with and destroy our enemy. So I'm looking not only for skill but teamwork." Mike paused and noticed all eyes were staring intently at him.

The new leader wondered if this was the same kind of speech given to his friends in Beta Company before Operation Torpedo before they were sent off on a suicide mission. It had been a necessary expenditure of resources, he'd read in an after action report. Tell that to his team mates. Tell that to Mel. They were all dead back on Pegasi Delta. It was also their first mission. She and his friends were fourteen, just like a lot of the candidates standing before him. An anger at the system he represented welled up within him like molten lava. Perhaps the old Lone Wolf was not so dormant after all. This new team would have a first mission. Would the odds be stacked against them like Beta Company? Not if he could help it.

Mike suddenly realized he'd stopped speaking and everyone was staring at him curiously. Rallying his thoughts he continued, "With that in mind I will test you to see what you have inside. I'll pick a team and then we'll work together to prepare ourselves for what's to come."

Mike realized that was likely the longest speech he'd ever given and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. This new role was going to take some getting used to. "Okay, that's enough talk. We'll have time enough for that in the weeks ahead. This is Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor of the ODST's," Mike pointed as the senior NCO strode purposefully out of the shadows, "he'll be your Training Leader during your time here."

Mike stepped back and allowed the gunny to take over.

"All right you prissy sods," MacGregor's voice boomed across the parade square, as he tapped his leg with an electric baton he gripped in his thick hand like a hammer. "You had a nice ride from Onyx and your bellies are full but the day will come when you have neither. So let's see what you got. We're going to go for a bit of a run."

Several of the Spartans broke ranks and began to move towards the area set up as a barracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" MacGregor roared, his face contorted with anger.

"Aren't we going to change into PT gear?" one of the Spartan's asked.

MacGregor's eyes bulged at the comment but then his face got eerily calm. "No, I think you'll just run in what you have."

"What's the length and objective of this exercise?" an African-American Spartan asked, oblivious to the outrage the question caused in their new training leader.

MacGregor stormed over and in one swift motion took his electric baton and cracked the recruit behind the knees. "How about seeing how long you can run after that?" he yelled.

Caught off guard the tall Spartan crumbled to the ground but immediately sprang back up, seething in anger at the attack from the smaller NCO.

Mike didn't flinch at the sudden activity, he'd seen this type of thing before, but he was curious to see how it would all come out.

"You got anything to say, boyo?" MacGregor taunted the muscular Spartan.

"No, sir," the Spartan responded through gritted teeth.

"Thought not. See the newly painted lines on my parade square? Wear 'em out," MacGregor ordered in his thick brogue. "You run 'til I tell ye to stop. Now go," he roared.

"Gunnery Sergeant," Mike called out in an equally booming voice.

"Company, halt," MacGregor called as the candidates began to move.

Mike walked over to the fiery ODST who stood surrounded by the Spartans. "Permission to join in the run."

MacGregor snorted. "Suit yourself sir but rank has no privilege on this parade square." He then turned to the rest and yelled, "Go!"

For the next two-and-a-half monotonous hours Mike and the Spartans ran around the parade square. Feet began to ache from the concrete floor and knees burned from the frequent turns. All kept going but there was a wide divergence in the pace. For Mike it felt good to test himself with something mindless. He'd wondered how he'd healed after Reach and other then an ache in his right knee felt pretty good. It was also nice to put his mind into neutral and not have to think about anything. He did watch the Spartans around him. Several had determined to match his pace and it was paying off for they were now the lead group. A few who'd eaten too much at breakfast had thrown up but were still going. Still, it was anything far from pretty for Mike. The Spartans of Gamma Company had been training together for years and had evolved out of simple tasks like this which is precisely why MacGregor chose it. This was no test of physical ability, all knew they had it. This was instead something that would show mental toughness which would be desperately needed in the days ahead. It was a good first exercise and he was happy for his choice of training leader.

"Halt!"

The candidates stopped immediately. While several put their hands on their knees to catch their breath none collapsed.

 _Good_ , Mike thought, _they're in shape but now let's see what they can do with it._

"One drink of water and then you're on the simulators," MacGregor ordered as two other assistant instructors came forward to lead the candidates to a large room filled with computers that would test their reaction and cognitive reflex. The wily training leader had dulled their mind with repetitive activity and now he'd see how quickly they could snap back. Mike had to admire the cunning of the ODST.

For the rattled Spartans, they now knew who was in charge and that this was going to be no easy assignment. Already several had determined they wanted nothing to do with this new team. But there were also a few challenged and stimulated by the opportunity hoping to end up as part of it.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **September 11, 2552, 1945 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Mike-B312! This is THE Lone Wolf. The guys a legend, man," the young Spartan of Gamma company declared with a note of awe. "Killed more Covvies than anyone besides Master Chief. Word is the guy was on a rampage with Noble on Reach." Adam-G040 couldn't help but smile despite the fatigue of the day's exertion as he sat down on his army cot and thought about the CO of the new unit they'd just met that morning.

"Yea, and where is the rest of the team? Wasted," Spencer-G015 retorted. "Hear that handle-LONE Wolf," the beefy Spartan III emphasized. "The guy doesn't play well with others. And he's going to be our new CO? That's just great"

"Only if we get picked for his team," Maia-G252 said quietly.

"Yea? Well count me out," Dilhan-G311 interjected testily.

Five Spartans of Team Rapier sat in an administrative building of AMG Transport Dynamics that had been converted into a barracks. Each of the five-man teams that Gamma Company had been organized into had been given one such room. They had just come back from dinner for the evening after a hard day of testing. After the initial run MacGregor had pushed them relentlessly through a series of tests, not even allowing them time to change out of their sweaty BDU's. Finally having the opportunity to unwind the conversation naturally evolved to what they'd just gone through.

"Yea, you want to go back to the company and end up on some suicide mission?" the fifth member of the team, Alissa-G170, joined in.

"We're too valuable, we're Spartans," Adam countered optimistically though in reality he knew the answer but instead wanted to encourage his sour-faced teammate.

Spencer wouldn't let the teenager off the hook. "Really? Ever hear of Beta Company?"

"He's right, we're totally expendable," Alissa added fatalistically as she pushed a strand of hair aside. She kept her hair longer than the others so pulled the tie out of her light brown hair with blond streaks so it could fall out.

"Which is why I want to fight with the Wolf. The guys a survivor," Adam continued on doggedly, his dark blue eyes showing passion. "He's in the fight, 'gets the job done and lives to tell."

"You watch too many holo-vids," Spencer grunted, running a hand through his matted, wavy blond hair. "I don't want anything to do with the guy."

"Hey, you wanted to fight, this guy'll get us ready to fight," Maia stated logically, her dark eyes taking in the body language of all her teammates.

"I don't care either way, I just want to get at the Hingeheads," Alissa declared though her eyes did not display the confidence of her tone.

"We should be back at Currahee fighting for top team honors not Katana or Gladius, "Dilhan whined. We deserve that shot."

"Oh yea?" Spencer turned to his chocolate-skinned teammate. "You remember that last Performance Objective and what happened there?"

"Yes," Dilhan confessed quietly. Despite his dark skin it was obvious his face reddened.

"Yea, you do," Spencer stated bitterly, seeing the response to the question. "That's why we're here doing this dog-and-pony shoe rather than being back at Currahee setting ourselves up for something good."

"You get a load of MacGregor?" Maia interjected, trying to deflect the growing tension of the conversation between her two teammates. "The guy's a clone of Senior Chief Mendez."

"That's right," Adam jumped in, trying to reunite the group. "They make DI's in a factory, or what?"

"He's ODST," Spencer, who'd been the Spartan MacGregor had hit with the electric baton said quietly, his previous aggression melting away. "Those guys hate Spartans." He lay back onto his cot and looked up at the florescent lights on the ceiling.

"Oh that's just great," Dilhan chimed up, glad the conversation hadn't continued down the path to how his mistake in their last test had dropped them from first place to fifth in the team competition and led to them being here. The top three teams from Gamma Company were back on Onyx competing for top team in the class honors while the next best fifteen teams had been pulled by Colonel Ackerson for selection into the new Spartan Special Ops team.

"Well, Lieutenant Commander Mike and Gunny MacGregor know what they're doing. They're combat tested and survivors," Adam stated. "I hope we get the chance to serve with him."

"Oh brother," Spencer groaned, rolling over and closing his eyes. "Give me strength from idealists."

On the main floor Mike and MacGregor sat in the program's administrative office.

"So, what do you think?" Mike asked the stocky ODST sitting across the desk from him.

The senior NCO sipped a mug of coffee thoughtfully. "Physically, they're tough for sure. I threw a lot at them today and they responded pretty well. Intellectually they're sharp too."

"But?" Mike asked, sensing there was something else.

"They're still just kids, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen."

"Who've been training hard for nine years, gunny," Mike added.

"I know that," the man countered, his intense, dark blue eyes coming alive with emotion, "but you know as well as I that combat is different. These kids are going to be facing some hard times and hard decisions before they've had the chance to really grow in their skills."

"And…"

"And it doesn't seem fair," MacGregor continued. "I'd just like to see them get a bit of seasoning first before they're thrown into the grinder. At least in the Helljumpers we knew what we were getting in to." Then he paused, a bit embarrassed by the emotion he'd already shown. "Sorry sir, I guess I'm getting sucked into the dilemma of the Drill Instructor- starting to care about the ones I have to prepare to send to their death. At least they've got a good CO," he added to perhaps soften the comment.

Mike couldn't help but sigh at the thought. He was tired but invigorated by the process. He'd actually enjoyed the process of working with the candidates throughout the day. It had been a long time since he'd been in this kind of environment. But then MacGregor had reminded him of the weight of what he was being asked to do. He was to pick five for essentially a suicide squad that was to replace Noble Team even though they'd worked together for years. MacGregor was right, it didn't seem fair, Mike thought as he rubbed the long white scar on the right side of his jam reflectively, but then when was war ever fair, or the Covenant for that matter?

 **September 10, 2552 2200 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia stood on the balcony of her luxury condominium and stared out into the night sky. The evening was crisp as the warm day began to give way to the night. Stars twinkled merrily above the ambient glow of Sydney. One of the largest 'stars' to the naked eye was in fact the Orbital Defense Platform that stood over the city in geosynchronous orbit. Natalia sighed as she stared at the protector of the city. It made her think of Mike. In reality, scarce little didn't make her think of him. She'd been out to dinner earlier in the day with her father. It had gone well, or as well as to be expected. She had to admit the man had been working hard to build a relationship with her. But Spanner Misriah was also a businessman, and a schemer, his daughter admitted honestly, so during their time together he'd spent much of it on his device sending and receiving messages.

The perceptive woman knew he was up to something. She had discovered earlier he'd been shifting production and goods from some of his facilities. He was anticipating something though he would never say. But Natalia knew what it was. He was no gambler; her father was the type to own the casino, so he was eliminating as many variables as he could. She couldn't fault him for that and besides it kept their conversation shallow which she liked. Though she was trying to develop a relationship his initial words on her return about Mike and their relationship had stung and she'd not forgotten them. He didn't understand.

And MacKenzie didn't understand.

She'd gone to the gym and had a vigorous workout then returned to her condo. She'd spent an extra-long time in the shower. As she lathered her athletic body she'd fantasized that Mike had been there and was the one doing it. That had led to a series of stimulating thoughts she allowed to linger. The fantasy had cheered her up a bit and so she was actually smiling as she left her bathroom in a cozy bathrobe with her blond with red-streaked hair in a thick towel. Then the door buzzer went off.

It was MacKenzie.

Her one-time boyfriend MacKenzie Wainwright was a senior executive at Misriah Armory and a fast rising star in the industrial world who her father had tapped for rapid advance. Handsome, rich and confident he was the kind of man other women would do anything for.

But not Natalia.

Initially that had been what attracted the competitive man to her and the equally competitive woman entered into the game. Each where exhilarated by the chase. The pair were electric together and had been the talk of the social scene in Sydney, going to the right clubs and parties, gathering a crowd of the beautiful people around them.

But then there had been Reach.

Angling for a field assignment before her next promotion for the experience her father had been able to arrange through Admiral Parangosky for her to be assigned to Noble Team on Reach as they were tasked with dealing with an Insurrectionist threat on the vital planet.

Or so everyone thought.

Natalia had even been fitted with an enhanced set of MJOLNIR Power Assault Armor that allowed her unenhanced body to use it. A present from daddy. She had to confess it had saved her life on Reach, but still, it cried 'privilege' which is everything she'd been about.

Not anymore.

She'd broken up with MacKenzie upon her return but that had only seemed to make him want her more. At first he seemed to understand, even appreciate the feelings for Mike she'd professed, but it had only been a ruse. He was subtle, there was nothing she could call him out on, but she knew where his intensions lay.

And now he stood in the foyer of her condo, looking at her hungrily, the bathrobe plunging just at her firm breasts.

"You look good, Tali," he commented, eyes roaming from the hem line of the bath robe that sat at her mid-thigh to the fold on her chest where it was joined together.

They'd had the kind of physical relationship she now longed for with Mike and it made him that much more difficult to look at. MacKenzie wanted to return to that level of intimacy, the perceptive woman could see he ached for it, as others had before him. The thought made her even more ashamed of the type of woman she'd been in the past.

It had been nothing to the callous woman, another game, a bench mark to success. But she'd changed. Reach and Mike made her see a different way. But she'd given away a precious commodity that she couldn't get back. Before it hadn't mattered but now she longed to be able to give it to the one she loved and would truly love her back. But she couldn't, she'd been rash and flip with the gift and it was no longer hers to give.

Natalia wondered what Mike would think of her, how he would react. Would it make him angry? Not likely. Disappointed? Probably not either since the perceptive Spartan knew exactly the kind of woman she was.

 _No, the kind I used to be_ , she thought to herself.

Would he understand? Yes, he would. If anyone would understand regret it was Mike Nantz. He'd talked to her on Reach after she'd been wounded and as he helped her said that everyone deserved a second chance, even spoiled rich girls.

The scar from that incident was more precious to her than even the wolf's head tattoo she'd gotten on her shoulder that surrounded the one of a wasp. It was their connection, what bound her to him. No, he would understand and still love her. If only she could find him.

"Tali, are you listening to me?"

Natalia was yanked from her thoughts by the realization MacKenzie was still standing there and had been talking to her.

"What?" she said, shaking her head as if clearing out a cloud.

"I said, can I come in, I'd like to hang out with you," the handsome executive asked again, trying hard to mask the annoyance he was showing at her drifting off like that.

And there she had it. Another choice thrust upon her not of her choosing. Then a thought suddenly hit her, like a round from a MAC gun exploding. Even though she knew Mike was alive she might never see him again. To know, and to feel, and to be able to do nothing about it was perhaps the worst wound she would ever experience. The thought that what stood before her in the entrance to her condo maybe was it, was all she could ever have now, made her sick to the stomach.

She wanted to be with Mike, desperately did she ache for him. What if she couldn't have him? Natalia Misriah had never been denied anything in her life. Now it struck her: was it better that she thought Mike was dead? To know something and be denied it was a particularly cruel form of torture. No, she would believe, she'd have faith. Somehow she'd see him and it all would work out. But for now, she had to deal with MacKenzie who continued to stand before her looking for an answer.

 **September 11, 2552, 1945 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Alone and in his private quarters Mike lay down on his bed and went back to the conversation he and MacGregor had had earlier in the evening. They had a dilemma which was a bit of a contradiction. Yet his and the gunny's dilemma was the same as countless others right now. Why should he be different? That being said, while he couldn't control what was going on around him he could control what he did about it and how he responded as life unfolded. He could fatalistically give up and just go through the motions until the Maker called him out of this messy thing called life or he could do the best he could with the hand he'd been dealt with

Mike thought back to his ancestor, Mike Nantz who he'd been named after, who'd fought back in the 21st century in the first invasion of Earth. He wondered if he'd ever been fatalistic about his life in the depths of the blackness. Things had seemed impossible then and yet humanity had prevailed. HE'D prevailed, coming out not only alive and a hero but going on to find love, have a family and live a happy life.

The human race seemed to have this great propensity to do that, to not only survive but thrive despite how bad it seemed. They also had the ability to make lemonade out of a lemon and find joy where it shouldn't be. That thought was a light in the darkness around him for Mike. He had options; this did not have to be a foregone conclusion. Yes, he would die, perhaps soon. Everyone one; that is the ultimate statistic- one in every one person is going to die someday. The question is what do we do with the days we have? Do we leave a legacy or just mail it in?

There went that word again, legacy, Mike thought.

For years Mike had been trying to live up to the Nantz ideal and now since Reach he'd discovered it could be the source of energy and power. Yes, his days were numbered but that also meant he had days to number. He would squeeze them dry, seize the moment, and live. He was a Spartan, not a robot. He could feel and he could love, again he'd discovered that on Reach. He could give, share and be part of something. He would give himself fully to this new team, seize the moment and rest in that.

The idea not only invigorated Mike but gave him incentive to go deeper. The divine would call him out of this life someday but until that day he would let the light of his life shine. He couldn't help but shine despite MacGregor's gloomy prognosis. They would come together and make a difference, if in nothing but their own lives.

Spurred on by the invigorating thought, Mike knew he had to pick the team quickly, but also correctly, for they would be more than a squad, they would be a family. That meant finding the right fit. That also meant they needed the right name. And suddenly it came to him, a moniker fitting of who they would be: Team Wolfpack.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **September 14, 2552, 0925 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Team Wolfpack.

Mike looked into the bank on monitors giving a live feed of the candidates entering into an abandoned Misriah Armory building for a clearing exercise and liked the ring of the name he'd chosen for several reasons, not dwelling on the building name or the fact it was empty. It was a fitting offshoot of the nickname he'd loathed for so long- Lone Wolf. A wolf pack was a team, the antithesis of what he'd been before. This group would work as one, no loners, or big egos. The whole would be greater than the sum of the parts.

But there was another reason.

He chose it also in honor of the Alpha Company team that had been killed in action during Operation Prometheus in 2537 on asteroid K7-49. They'd been a tight group, or so he'd heard. Kind of like his team from Beta Company that had died in Op. Torpedo. He couldn't help but think of Mel again. It was curious since he hadn't thought about her in years. Was it his brief relationship with Natalia that had stirred something in him?

Indeed, he now desired more for himself then to be an emotionless killing machine. No, he'd tasted something on Reach with the headstrong woman that he would like to explore more deeply. Regret and anger tinged his memories of the captivating woman. What had at first been an annoyance towards her had become magnetic and he'd been drawn to her and her to him. They'd connected emotionally and had begun to explore the physical. Their kisses had been fuel on a fire of passion lit within. Then it had been ripped away from him when she'd been extracted during the Battle of New Alexandria. He reminded himself as the anger grew anew that she had been literally dragged kicking and screaming to the waiting Pelican and he'd almost gotten into a shootout with an ONI Security Detail but still, she was gone. She was ONI, and a Misriah. That meant privilege. Her feelings for him were now likely as empty as the building that bore her name.

So Team Wolfpack would also be a tribute to those who could speak no longer for themselves. Colonel Ackerson would be uncomfortable with it which made it that much more appealing. It was his team, he'd name it.

Now all he had to do was find the right team to fit the name.

"You sure they're ready for this?" Gunny MacGregor asked Mike.

"Has to be done," he responded calmly. Mike's focus switched from his thoughts to return to the monitor though inside he was a bit nervous. "We need to see what they got and don't have a lot of time to find it. We need to throw them out of the boat and see who can swim. Are your guys ready?"

"Oh they're ready, sir," the drill instructor grinned wickedly. "I think the boys'll enjoy themselves."

"Well just be sure it's not too much."

Adam led the five members of Rapier Team into the unfamiliar industrial building they'd been driven to in another city. Each of the seventy-five candidates from Gamma Company had been broken into their old groups from Camp Currahee. They'd been told by Gunny MacGregor that this was a shake-out exercise to get them moving tactically in an urban setting. The teams were to work through the building to the roof in this group movement exercise. There they would engage a marker strobe and a Falcon would extract them. He made it clear that there were more teams than Falcons so those completing the mission too slow would be walking back, if they could find their way, he'd added with an evil chuckle.

Not fun, but it seemed like a simple enough scenario and considering they were only three days into their testing it made sense.

Thus far everything had been done as a group and had been fairly general- physical testing, weapons testing, psychological testing, pretty routine stuff. Several of the team had become bored and started to complain that this was a waste of time. But something wasn't sitting right with Adam. There was something in the eyes of the grizzled combat veteran that made him think this was going to be far from routine. Plus they were wearing no armor save for their helmets. Their Mark II SPI Armor had been left back in the armory in their barracks. They had their helmets and wore black BDU utilities. In addition, while they carried MA5B Assault Rifles they were fitted with a laser beam projector that meant they were going into this strange setting prepared for nothing more than a glorified game of 'laser tag'.

Lovely.

Adam had tried to move in cautious bounds but Spencer had already grown tired of his patient advance and pushed ahead on his own forcing the others to keep their pace since he didn't want to engage in a simple 'walk about', as he put it. Their IFF's had lit up with green friendly tags showing at least four other teams within range of their structure. The place looked like it had been used for heavy equipment manufacturing and was a lot larger than it looked. They had no schematics so really didn't know their way. Still, Spencer pushed ahead blindly.

"Come on guys," Dilhan called out, with a bit of a whine, "that has to be Team Cutlass ahead of us."

"I am not losing to those assholes," Spencer retorted angrily. "Let's get moving. I see a set of stairs ahead."

"Whoa there," Adam tried to counter, "let's watch our move discipline, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves. We need to move in tactical bounds."

"Or what?" Spencer retorted, "Get tagged? This is an exercise in movement dude, RAPID movement. You want to walk back to that craphole of a barracks? I don't. I'm pushing on; you can stay if you want." The aggressive Spartan III looked at Adam and despite the visor he could tell the bigger teenager was sneering.

Maia and Alissa had said nothing but they'd stayed back with Adam.

"Come on," Spencer gestured to Dilhan, "we're wasting time."

The two pushed on while the other three from their team held back.

"What do we do?" Alissa asked nervously.

"We stick together, no matter what," Adam declared firmly. "We're a team, we don't split up."

So the three went jogging after their teammates who were already pushing up the metal stairs to the upper level.

Coming to the top of the staircase they found they were in a large two-story room that had likely been used for storage. Other than some bare shelving units and large flat metal moving trays the room was empty. As expected, the members of Team Cutlass had made their way into the room as well as the members of Team Akinaka. Each was looking for the same thing- the way to the roof.

Spencer saw the way first, "This way!" he yelled and began to sprint alone towards the door with the sign 'roof' beside it.

Before he got halfway massive flood lights came on temporarily overloading their helmet's optical system while at the same time the staccato sound of rifle fired erupted.

Four of the Spartan III's went down with screams of pain.

"Stun rounds!" Adam yelled desperately.

From above armoured figures in black Helljumper BDU's came out of hiding while more entered the storage room from the opposite end.

"ODST's!" Adam called out urgently.

Already they'd gotten to the first Spartan III of Gamma Company who'd gone down, hit by several stun rounds and began to beat him mercilessly. Another group descended on another Spartan that had collapsed and did the same thing.

A wave of panic began to grip the candidates at the unexpected turn of events.

"We can fight these guys," Spencer screamed.

"No way," Adam countered. "We have to fall back. They have stun rounds, we got nothing." The quick-thinking Spartan quickly scanned the area for some form of solution. They had no armor, no weapons and at least a dozen ODST's to contend with. He also saw his aggressive team mate stand up and begin to run to the door to the roof. He got three steps and was hit by a flurry of stun rounds. With a groan the beefy teenager went down. Adam fought the anger that welled up within him at the foolish act but got his emotions under control to try to figure something out. Someone needed to do something soon or they'd be all cut down.

Then it came to him, almost like a data upload.

"Listen up!" he called out on an open channel, to get the attention of all the remaining members of Gamma Company in the empty room, "grab the metal trays on the shelves. We're going to use them as shields to block the stun rounds. We grab our teammates who are down that we can then we fall back to here," he set a waypoint for all to see in their helmets. The nav point popped up on the Heads-Up-Display.

"Forget it!" Dilhan called out in panic, "let's just grab the shields and get the hell out of here."

"No way, we don't leave anyone behind," Adam declared firmly. "Now let's move!" He stepped out and though hit in the arm with a stun round he bobbed and weaved towards the metal racks holding the trays. Others followed his example and in a few seconds six of them held the large metal trays and the last remaining Spartan not stunned stood behind them.

"All right, we form a shield wall to provide protection." Adam had remembered one of the lessons they'd been taught at Camp Currahee about ancient Greek warriors who used this technique against their enemies.

Instinct kicked in and the Spartans instantly formed into a solid line. The action caught the attention of the ODST's on the upper deck who renewed their fire but the choice paid off as the stun rounds bounced harmlessly off the metal plates.

"Shift right as one and move forward," Adam commanded.

Plates locked together and crouching low to minimize their target the members of Gamma Company pressed forward to their first colleague who was down. Moving past so that the free member could grab a stunned female they then moved back dragging her to a place of relative safety. They did this two more times, all the while the shots of the ODST's banged off the shield wall. The third time they forayed out two of the Helljumpers on the lower level decided to charge in to attempt to break up the formation. The aggressive combat veterans smashed into the shield wall and while only 12 to 14 the Spartans had been training hard for seven years and had also been physically enhanced. Besides, they were looking for payback for the setup they'd walked into.

The first ODST pushed into the formation and while able to interrupt it that also meant his colleagues had to hold fire or risk hitting him. This allowed the Spartans the opportunity to turn the tables. Adam and Maia both swung their plates viciously at the older soldier and beat him to the ground. Two others did the same thing to the other ODST and in short order both were down and not moving. This got a reaction from their colleagues who yelled out in anger and began to form themselves for a more concentrated attack. But the window of opportunity the Spartans had given themselves through this unexpected tactic was enough for them to drag the remaining three of their stunned team mates back to their rally point. Also Adam had been smart enough to grab their weapons.

While three of the ODST's stayed on the upper level and continued to fire the remainder of the squad formed for the attack.

Adam did a quick assessment and was satisfied to see his choice had been correct. There was a door in the shadows behind them. "Okay, fall back, tactical withdrawal." He checked the counter on his weapon to see how many rounds he had while handing the other to Alissa. "Move! We'll cover your withdrawal."

The ODST's saw their intended victims slipping from their grasp so pressed forward. Alissa dropped to one knee and squeezed off three rounds in quick succession. All connected with the head of the lead Helljumper who went down like a stone. The three up top concentrated fire but the brown haired Spartan coolly shifted and another three-round burst brought the lead sniper down.

Adam kept up a measured rate of fire allowed all the Spartans to leave the room. He and Alissa were the last to leave the room and with a burst of adrenaline he twisted the door handle enough to break it off.

"What now?" a member of Team Cutlass asked urgently.

Adam took a moment to assess. Several of their colleagues were regaining consciousness despite the injuries from the stun rounds but two were still down. He could hear the ODST's trying to open the door they'd just gone through but were unable as he heard their frustrated curses. He ordered two of the bigger members of the group, "Okay, you guys carry them. The rest of you keep your shields around them. I'll take point, Alissa you cover the rear. We're going to move around the periphery and get to that Falcon."

"But the ODST's will be waiting for us," Dilhan protested.

"Yea, they will be. But we know they're out there so we'll deal with them when we find them," Adam's eyes blazed behind the visor of his helmet with determination. "We're getting to that roof and we're getting out of here together."

And get out they did. Following instinct and a circuitous route Adam led the beleaguered group finally to the roof.

Mike watched the teams extract via two Falcons from a bank of monitors back at their operations center. He realized he was relieved to see them pull out after the test. But then the deep thinking Spartan saw the Navy corpsmen come in to attend to several of the candidates who didn't make it out and had been severely beaten by the ODST's who'd been brought in to challenge the Spartan III's.

"So what was that all about, gunny?" Mike asked, angrily jerking a thumb towards the monitor.

"The lads were doing what we'd asked them to do, sir," MacGregor replied evenly, measuring the emotions of his commander.

"And did that include beating those ones unconscious?" Mike retorted. "That was going too far."

MacGregor's intense dark blue eyes showed sympathy and he nodded his head slightly in agreement. "Aye, that's true but it gave them a taste of what's out there." The seasoned combat veteran allowed the words to sink in before explaining sympathetically, "But yes, the boys went a bit overboard. All of them are back from Reach and few have any love for Spartans. We got some good data though. Look at this one," he pointed to Adam on the monitor. "Watch how he rallies the others at site three."

"You're right, I saw that too," Mike responded with a bit of a heavy heart though he was not really thinking of the assessment they were going through at the moment. That could be left for another time.

Deep down Mike knew MacGregor was right but a paternalistic feeling was creeping in. He had asked the ODST's MacGregor had brought in to push the Spartan III candidates and that they didn't have to follow the usual rules of engagement for training simulations but he hadn't expected this kind of reaction. If he'd been on the ground rather than back in Losantiville he'd have charged in and joined the fight. Something was stirring; he was already beginning to care for these teenagers. What would it be like when he'd picked his team? He'd thought the mechanics of command would be challenging enough, but the emotions? Would he be strong enough to sacrifice those he cared about for a cause greater than self?

The initial assessment went on as MacGregor shared the notes he'd made from the three locations they'd sent the candidates to and how they'd faired. There would be more tests to come but in reality the brutality of the exercise had even made him a bit uncomfortable.

Mike could see that too as the debrief wrapped up, giving him a measure of comfort. "Thanks gunny. Oh, and your guys did good today. They gave the candidates the kind of test I was looking for."

"Thanks sir," MacGregor smiled at the acknowledgement. "I'll tell 'em to dial it down a bit next time."

Spencer threw his helmet angrily to the floor when they returned to the barracks. "What the hell was that all about?" he yelled and then winced in pain from the wounds of the stun rounds he'd been hit by.

"They were testing us," Adam countered, gingerly rubbing the arm that had been hit.

"That's crap," the bigger Spartan shot back, standing over him angrily.

"No, Adam's right, Spencer," Maia said quietly. "If we're going to be part of this team we need to be ready for anything."

"Yea, do you think the Covenant play by any form of convention?" Alissa joined in unsympathetically. "No, they slaughter everything in sight so anyone going against them better be ready to do the same thing," she declared, voice rising as she thought of Reach and all the other planets that had been glassed.

"Whatever," Spencer dismissed the thought immaturely, though he knew he'd receive no sympathy so retorted instead, "This whole thing is bogus. The sooner we're done this and can dump the Lone Wolf and get to a real assignment the better."

"I think he'd be the best one to serve with. I hope I get picked," Alissa countered.

"Me too," Maia agreed.

Adam said nothing. He was thinking back to what had happened hours earlier and how he'd reacted. They'd been through lots of training scenarios back at Onyx and some pretty intense ones too but today he'd instinctively taken charge. He'd never done that before. Spencer was the team leader and had always been in charge but since leaving their training camp something had changed. The thoughtful teenager could feel his attitudes shift and confidence grow as he faced these new challenges and not only survive but thrive. He agreed with his female teammates. He'd love to serve on this new team. He just wasn't prepared to hope for it at this point, still struggling with his confidence and sense of worthiness.

The remaining member of Team Rapier had avoided the conversation and sat off to his side alone, not trying to attract attention. But Dilhan had not been forgotten by Spencer.

"And what about you?" Spencer shifted his attack from the other three to the isolated team mate. "You were going to leave me?"

"No dude, I wasn't…," he protested feebly.

"I heard it man, I heard you panic and want to run."

"It wasn't like that, I wouldn't….," Dilhan tried to explain.

"Yea? Thanks pal. I'll remember that one too," Spencer declared hotly, poking a beefy finger into the smaller teen's chest.

"Leave him alone Spencer," Adam moved over to defend his teammate. "It was a tough situation. Everyone got caught off guard. The important thing is we all got out of it together."

"Yea, thanks to you," Spencer retorted bitterly.

"It doesn't matter who," Adam replied, trying to calm the increasingly tense situation though he had to confess the angry teen's observation had been correct. While Spencer had panicked and gotten himself hurt Adam stayed calm and not only got Rapier out but the remnants of the other teams. He'd discovered something about himself others had pointed out in the past but he had never really considered since he'd been in the shadow of others- he was a leader.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **September 15, 2552, 0800 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The mess hall where the candidates ate was half full. They'd been up and done PT and now had the opportunity to connect as a group. While Adam and Team Rapier had gotten out relatively unscathed from the warehouse scenario the rumor was others were not so lucky. In most of the other buildings the teams had been captured and a number severally beaten leaving four in the infirmary. As a result eight teams had been packed up and shipped out over the night leaving only 35 candidates left.

Though Adam was aware of all this it also was lost on him. He absently played with one of the tight curls of hair on his head as he replayed the previous day's operation. He'd acted instinctively when the ODST's sprung their ambush rather than think like he'd always done before. On Onyx he'd been known as a careful and methodical thinker but this had shown a spontaneity he'd not known existed.

Or did he?

If the thoughtful teen was honest he'd admit that it had been there, he'd just never had the opportunity, or taken it, he corrected himself. He'd loved their tactics sessions and often had applied them to himself in his head while deferring to others like Spencer or even ones like Matt G-101 who led his larger team before they'd broken into the five-person units. Often he'd second guess in his mind the decisions his more naturally aggressive peers made, and often his decision would have been the better choice. His quiet nature had always kept him from speaking or acting until yesterday. While the others around him complained about what had happened he instead felt exhilarated by the experience.

"Group!"

Alissa had spotted Gunny MacGregor and Lieutenant Commander Mike enter the mess hall so not only was Adam's train of thought interrupted but all the candidates scrambled to jump up to attention.

"Officer on the deck!" MacGregor's voice boomed in his thick Scottish brogue.

Mike stopped in the center of the room but MacGregor continued on, pacing around, assessing the candidates. The pair had left the Spartan III's alone for the morning thus far to collect their thoughts after the previous day's exercise and allow to sink in that over half their peers were gone. He'd made his initial cut right after the scenario, weeding out those he didn't feel would be a good fit and had gotten rid of them that night. It hadn't been as hard a decision as he thought although he knew the next round of cuts would be difficult for him and likely painful for the candidates. Still, it was necessary. He reminded himself he'd be going into war with whoever he picked, likely sooner than he'd like, so he better be comfortable with whom he ended up with. That helped his somewhat guilty conscience, a bit.

MacGregor, on the other hand, seemed to have no qualms about pushing the candidates both physically and mentally. While the gunnery sergeant had a tremendous respect and growing affection for his current commanding officer he didn't have the same love for Spartans. Though there was tremendous respect for the super soldiers among the ODST's there was not a lot of affection.

No one could put a finger on why, and few of the aggressive Helljumpers would care to contemplate it, but there was something there. Maybe it was the incident years before when a single Spartan had killed several troopers when they'd gotten into a fight. Maybe it was they were not as recognized by the UNSC for what they'd been doing or the losses they'd suffered. There were many who saw the Spartans as nothing more than a publicity stunt. Sure, all would agree the Spartan II's were great soldiers but the III's? Not so much. Regardless, the senior NCO was enjoying the position he'd found himself in.

Adam could see the ODST NCO was looking for something, or someone, to unload on as Lieutenant Commander Mike stood back. Though not presenting as aggressive a picture the Lone Wolf was watching them carefully. Both were assessing the candidates.

 _This is another test_ , the intelligent teen realized. _They're seeing how we'll react not only to yesterday but the smaller numbers_. Adam determined he wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction of knowing he'd been rattled so worked hard to keep his face a stone mask. Out of his peripheral vision Adam saw though that Spencer was seething. The aggressive member of Team Rapier was barely able to keep his growing rage in check.

MacGregor saw it too.

"Ye got a problem, boyo?" the gunnery sergeant growled as he caught Spencer glaring defiantly down at him.

"No," Spencer answered curtly.

"No, what?" his voice boomed.

"No, gunny," Spencer shot back.

"Get down and start doing push-ups," MacGregor ordered testily.

Instead of moving the muscular teen paused defiantly, matching the NCO's stare before starting to move.

It was a moment too late.

In one fluid motion MacGregor whipped out the purple shock stick he had strapped to his thigh and drove it into the Spartan's stomach. With a crack of electricity and a _whoosh_ the air escaped from Spencer's lungs as he fell to the tile floor. The stocky ODST stood over the teen, hands on hips, ready to strike again as Mike watched on impassively. "When you're given an order ye do it right away, without thinking. You do it or you end up dead. Now start pushing them out."

Spencer didn't say a word, still trying to catch his breath, nor did he look up at the NCO who was looking for an excuse to hit him with the Humbler Stun device again. Instead, the Spartan began to grind out push-ups, his body still hurting from the previous day's exercise.

MacGregor couldn't help but be impressed by the response since a lesser man would not only have lost control of his urinary functions but his total body as well and yet here was Spencer able to move. So instead the NCO shifted his attention and looked up and down the line at the Spartans standing at attention, to see if anyone would speak. While most stared ahead impassively a few were obviously agitated. "Anyone got anything to say after yesterday's playtime?" he tempted them.

"Gunny," a Spartan named Matt stepped forward to speak. While his voice was calm his beefy face showed signs or rage. "Empty Assault Rifles against ODSTs with stun rounds? How were we supposed to win against that?"

"What, ye never done ex's with no ammo before?"

"Well, yes," he admitted, "but not against ODST's. It wasn't a fair test."

MacGregor didn't say a word but moved in until he was toe to toe and looking up at the taller Spartan. "Is this fair?" he said quietly, then looked down at the deck.

"Gunny?" Matt responded, confused at the strange question while instinctively looking down to see what the ODST NCO was staring at.

In one swift action MacGregor snapped his head back and caught Matt savagely under the chin. The Spartan's vision exploded into stars from the severe blow and he couldn't help but topple over in pain. Unable to see from the blow he jumped up in a rage, looking to strike back. Still blinded he lashed out but unable to see his awkward punch sailed through the air. MacGregor stepped in and landed a hard chop to the base of Matt's neck causing the stocky Spartan to crumble to the ground.

Satisfied his point had been made as an African-American teammate helped the stunned Spartan to his feet; MacGregor turned and looked at the rest of the candidates. "Fair? It's not about fair. Ye improvise, adapt and overcome. That's how ye win. If any of ye think you're being treated unfairly, tough!" he yelled. "This is war. Ye think the Covenant fight fair? They don't. They'd as soon piss on ye. Oh wait, they couldn't because ye'd be under a pile of glass," he spat out.

"Gunny."

MacGregor stopped his growing rant immediately as Mike spoke and then stepped to the center of the room. "Group, as you were," he ordered and the Spartans stood at ease. He watched Spencer doing push-ups and decided to let him continue though it was obvious the testy teen was hurting from the previous day. Another test.

"Yesterday was a tough day and there'll be a lot more ahead. Reach was a game-changer," Mike explained, wanting them to understand what was about to come was not some sadistic game but very purposeful. "The Covenant has superior numbers and superior weaponry, which means we need to either adapt or be wiped out as a species." He let the depressing reality sink in. "So we need to suck it up and get tougher. The team I'm picking is going to be on the front line, the tip of the spear. I'm not only looking for those who are tough and can fight but also those who are smart and can think. This team will likely all die but we'll make our enemy know who we are." He paused to let the words sink in. Spencer was doggedly trying to continue pumping out push-ups but beginning to fail. "Lecture hall in 30 minutes and this afternoon we're back in the field."

MacGregor stepped forward as Mike moved back out of the center of the room. "You heard the man. Inspection in 15, then this afternoon it's more play time." He went over to Spencer who was barely able to push himself up and put his polished combat boot on the teen's back pushing him down to the ground. "I'll be sure to bring some friends."

Adam caught the eye of both Alissa and Maia as they fell out of formation. Alissa seemed rattled by the statement despite the confident air she was trying to project so he gave her a reassuring wink but Maia had a look of steely determination so each nodded slightly to the other. No words needed to be spoken; both knew what they were up against and what they needed to do. Despite the anxiety of the moment and what lay ahead each knew they wanted to be part of this unit. It was going to have meaning and would be led by someone who not only cared but had a stake in the game. What Lieutenant Commander Mike was doing was testing them. So if this was a test they were going to win.

 **September 15, 2552 0800 Hours, Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

As Margaret Parangosky sipped her mug of Jamaican Black coffee she wasn't really listening to the operational update given by her executive assistant, Captain Osman. There was something on the former Spartan's mind, it was written all over her face. The admiral was far more interested in that then the report since, in truth, she knew all the information the captain was sharing so accepted the report not only out of courtesy but more importantly to see how accurately her protégée processed it. If this woman was to replace her some day as CINCONI then the aging woman wanted to be sure her department would be in good hands.

Parangosky liked her, if that was a possibility for the scheming admiral, but she would not allow sentiment or emotion to cloud her better judgement. No, Osman would need to measure up, regardless of how faithfully she served, or she would be replaced.

"Serin, what's on your mind?" Parangosky asked with a gentle concern that seemed a bit predatory which put the EA on edge. "I can see something's bothering you."

Osman swore at herself for the slip since the concern the admiral was showing was more like a hunter luring in its prey. She swallowed, then answered, "Misriah knows the Lone Wolf is alive," the black haired woman stated, a note of contempt in her voice.

"And how do you know this?" Parangosky asked calmly, interested in her protégée's response. There was a note of jealousy it seemed. What was it? Misriah's money? Looks? Privilege? Regardless, it was weakness and she'd need to extract it because weakness could be exploited and ONI had no weakness.

"It was written all over her face, admiral," Osman sneered, her brown eyes narrowing.

Parangosky steepled her fingers as she contemplated this interesting piece of news. "Thank you Serin that is very interesting," not doubting the woman's assessment but rather already processing if for advantage. "We might just be able to use this for our benefit."

"How, ma'am?" Osman asked with interest. Missing the predatory look the admiral was shooting her. "This distraction is a weakness and that's going to hurt operational efficiency."

Parangosky couldn't help but snort, "Dear Natalia has never really been that operationally efficient," she commented derisively as she continued to simultaneously assess the tall woman before her. _It is jealousy_ , she thought to herself. _So Serin, you have been bit by that bug have you?_ _Well, I can deal with that too._

"So what do we do?" Osman asked doggedly, not wanting this to drop now that it was in the open.

"Does she know where he is?" Parangosky asked, wanting to move the conversation forward so as to not allow her rising irritation with Osman to grow too much.

"I'm not sure," the aide admitted.

"Black Box," Parangosky sighed for effect, showing her disappointment with the tall, former Spartan who wilted at the look that accompanied the audible response.

"Here, admiral."

"Have you been listening to our conversation?"

"Of course," the AI's oily voice responded as it appeared in its chosen avatar of a formless box.

"Has Misriah accessed any file or information that would allow her to know where Mike-B312 is?" Parangosky asked.

It took a nanosecond for the smart AI to find the answer. "No, nothing."

"And you're sure of that?"

"Admiral," Black Box protested, a note of indignation in its voice at the thought.

Parangosky smirked at her ability to offend the smug AI. It was all a big game. "Good. Let's see how it plays out," she responded calmly though still irritated by Osman's tone. "At the very least I want you to plant some information so Misriah will find this out," Parangosky ordered. "We'll see how she responds." _And I can see how you respond_ , _Serin_ , the admiral added to herself. Already she knew that she'd create an opportunity for Natalia to go to Mars but she wanted to let the fiery woman stew with the information a bit to allow things to boil.

 **September 15, 2552, 1830 hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

It has been a long day for the candidates. As they dragged themselves to their bunks few wanted to put the effort in to go eat in the mess hall. Each knew though they had to refuel since this was going to be only the first of several days of intense testing. The training on Onyx had been difficult but nothing at Camp Currahee had been like this. True to expectation, they'd gone through not one but several building clearing scenarios. Each had been progressively more complex and tricky. The ODSTs they'd brought in seemed to have a particular dislike of Spartans. Several of the candidates had again been trapped and beaten badly. Gunny MacGregor didn't seem to care and Lieutenant Commander Mike had not returned to talk to them. So as the day wore on there was a growing fear within some and at the very least an edge among the teams as they moved through the scenarios of what would happen if they lost.

None of this was lost on Mike. He was indeed testing their mental state. It wasn't fair in many ways but then he thought about those lost in operations like Torpedo. No, sent like cattle to the slaughter, he corrected himself. Having been an independent operator for several years had allowed him to move outside the Spartan circles and so he'd been able to learn a hard reality about his brothers and sisters in the program- they'd been bred to be expendable, to be shock troops. _Or cannon fodder_ , he thought to himself.

Mike was determined not to let this happen to his team so he needed to get them to not only think for themselves but also overcome their fear. The odds were against them but they'd become a wolf pack, they'd win. He didn't want to die anymore, no more than any of the teens in his charge likely wanted to, and he now felt like he had something to live for. He felt things and while not always pleasant he liked it. His humanity had returned and he wasn't about to let it go easily.

So Mike would push them, hard, and then pick the five who would join him and then he'd push himself and the new team even harder to be ready for what was ahead. They'd become a wolf pack, they'd become dangerous and they'd win.

 **September 18, 2552 1100 Hours, Office of Naval Intelligence Headquarters, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia sat at her desk shuffling reports like she did every day. She was thinking about lunch and a visit to the headquarters' gym which seemed to be the only highlight of the day. Frustration had grown at the fact she seemed to have been left in limbo since her return from Reach. She wasn't doing anything other than taking up space. In reality, she reminded herself, she probably hadn't done much before then either. She just hadn't been aware of it. Natalia painfully had to admit that she'd been too self-absorbed to really know if what she was doing had any meaning to it. But her experience in combat while not giving her a desire to go back into that terror-filled environment did give her a hunger to make her life count for more. Her whole life had been about getting all she could, satisfying her own wants and needs and now she wanted to move beyond such selfish and base things. She wanted to serve, to have her life count for more than self.

But how?

It certainly wasn't going to happen in her current role with ONI, Natalia confessed with a degree of relief. She remembered how she'd been viewed on Reach by not only Noble Team but the regular soldiers as well. ONI was treated with a range of fear to contempt. There might have been a grudging respect but no affection. _And certainly no trust_ , she said to herself. She didn't want to be part of an organization like that. _Like your father's_ , she added. The thought made her feel trapped anew, a sensation that had become all too familiar of late.

So what could she do? Transfer? Quit and do something else? That was a scary proposition.

That was one thing causing frustration, but the bigger, and more current, issue again, as it was every day, every hour, was Mike. She'd found out he was alive ten days ago and couldn't do anything about it. She had been able to find out that the ship he'd gotten out on had docked at Cairo Station but there was nothing more about him. That was bad enough but MacKenzie continued to try to work his way back into her life. It was nothing overt but rather subtle which meant she couldn't call him on it. Yet regularly she would 'pop by' her condo or 'just happen' to be places she was. They'd even gone for coffee a couple of times since she couldn't come up with an excuse to not go out with him. She was reminded how desirable he was by the less than subtle looks other women gave when they were together. Nothing had happened physically between them though his hints that he'd like that to resume were about as subtle as the other women's stares at him. She felt herself lost and slipping, fearing there was a certain inevitability and they'd end up back together. Already she was hating herself for the weakness of character that would lead to this.

Yet how could she win? She felt alone and had no one. Her father was likely in full support of MacKenzie's attempts to win her back and in fact probably feeding him intel since the ambitious young executive would do nothing without Spanner Misriah's approval. She felt like a puppet in some sort of play.

The troubled young woman tried to bring herself out of the growing funk by refocusing on her work. Captain Osman had given her a list of reports to summarize for the admiral. Her quick mind was being dulled by the endless lists and reports done and it was hard for her to concentrate but she also knew she had to pay attention or the admiral would know. Margaret Parangosky always seemed to know. Staring at her terminal she was halfway through the list when a title seemed to catch her eye: _Special Warfare Command Parade States and Reorganization, post-Reach, CLASSIFIED._

Natalia's heart began to beat a little faster and her breathing became shallower as she clicked on the report to open it. Noble Team had been part of that command and if they were reporting on reorganization maybe there would be something about Mike. It didn't take her long to find the information her heart had hoped for and brain feared.

Special Warfare Group Three, Noble Team

Colonel Urban Holland commanding

Commander Carter-A259, KIA

Lt.-Commander Kat-B320, KIA

Warrant Officer Emile-A239, KIA

Warrant Officer Jun-A266, reassigned to ONI Section III 09/10/52

Tasking: training officer for new _CLASSIFIED_ program

Chief Warrant officer Jorge-052, KIA

Lieutenant Mike-B312, promoted to Lieutenant Commander, 09/10/52 and reassigned to SPECWAR Group One, Colonel James Ackerson commanding

Reposted to Mars, Losantiville Training Facility, 09/11/52

Tasking: OC of new SPECOPS Fireteam, designation TBD.

Status: ONGOING

Mike was on Mars.

Natalia felt her face go flush and she had to fight back tears as her eyes remained glued to that part of the report. It was so little information and yet so much. The woman's mind began to race. She had to find a way to get to Mars, she had to see Mike. She now had purpose, she had hope.

In the executive wing of ONI headquarters what Natalia was experiencing had not gone unnoticed.

"Did she take the bait?" Admiral Parangosky asked her AI as Captain Osman stood impassively behind her.

"What do you think, admiral?" Black Box responded smugly. "Of course she did. You humans can be so Pavlovian," the AI noted arrogantly, referring to an ancient test of human nature. "Would you like to watch the video feed of her reaction? I can even bring up her biorhythm if you'd like."

Parangosky thought about it for a moment. There was no practical reason to see what had happened. Her plan had been successful and that should be sufficient. But then she was an old woman and had few sensual pleasures left in life. "Why not?" she replied to the offer. "Let's see it all." A smile bereft of warmth or happiness filled the cruel face of the woman as she watched Natalia's reaction, knowing how she was going to let it play out.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **September 29, 2552, 1830 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike sat before several neatly stacked piles of paper on his otherwise tidy desk, sighed and pushed himself back. He looked at the computer that sat turned off before him and thought about contacting Natalia. He'd been busy the last couple of weeks so hadn't given her any thought but now, almost inevitably, his mind went back to her. It wouldn't be hard to find her and then he could give her a call. But what would he say? 'Hi, how's it going? What's new since your daddy had you rescued from Reach?' So many had died since she left including all of Noble Team but he and Jun, could they even relate anymore? Yes, she'd helped him get over Jorge's death but a lot had changed. Would she even want to talk to him again or had she gone back to her old life and her safe, rich boyfriend.

Yes, a lot had changed.

Mike jumped up in one smooth motion and savagely slammed his hand onto the metal desk, putting a dent into it. The Spartan chided himself for the undisciplined outburst and decided it was easier to throw himself into his work than try to sort this out. Emotions were complex.

The troubled man sat down and looked anew at his desk. Mike had printed off the files of the candidates that he'd narrowed the list down to. Going over them on his datapad had been frustrating for the man more used to being in the field then administrative taskings. He'd also forgone the use of the dedicated AI Colonel Ackerson had made available to him, much to the superior officer's irritation. The AI was supposed to have sifted through all the information and picked the best team for him but the wise Spartan was not about to put his life in the hands of something that didn't feel what he did. So instead he'd gone over all the tests and assessment reports they'd gathered over the previous weeks. Gunny MacGregor came into the office with a nod of acknowledgement.

"How are they?" Mike asked as the senior NCO settled himself in one of the two chairs sitting in front of the desk.

"Ready for their milk and cookies and to be tucked into bed," MacGregor responded.

Mike snorted and shook his head at the comment. "All right then. Let's get down to it."

"I think we need more time, sir," Gunny MacGregor commented from the other side of the desk.

"I don't disagree," Mike responded, "but Colonel Ackerson wants the new team online and ready for deployment by the end of October."

The gunny knew as well as Mike the news from the last several weeks and none of it had been good. The Covenant continued to aggressively push across the galaxy. Both the planets Coral and New Jerusalem had been attacked and eventually glassed after short fights. In addition, the Eridanus System had been invaded and UNSC forces pushed back as well. As a result, Earth's chain of Orbital Defense Platforms has been hastily brought online. While no one was saying it, all agreed it was no longer a matter of if Earth was discovered but when.

On a more personal note for Mike, the _Pillar of Autumn_ that he'd helped escape from Reach with the Smart AI Cortana was listed as missing. It was frustrating to think that all he and Emile had gone through had been for nothing. The enigmatic scientist, Dr. Catherine Halsey, who had given him the task of delivering the AI had seemed to put a lot of hope in humanities future on what Cortana possessed. And even now that edge seemed to be gone.

For Mike-B312 none of this ultimately mattered. He was a soldier. No, he was a Spartan, and his duty was to fight in the impossible situations. The news of late showed how impossible things were getting which meant he and his new team would be needed that much more. No, despite the shortness of time he had to be ready which meant he had to pick the right people.

"And you're sure you're going to pick a scratch group and not an existing team?" MacGregor prodded him.

"I'm positive. I don't want them too familiar since with me coming in to lead I want a fresh start. If we went with a set team there'd be too much history to overcome. We don't have time for that either."

"Shaking it up makes sense," the experienced NCO had to admit.

"But I will be looking for natural pairings," Mike added. "I don't want too much unfamiliarity since that could be just as problematic. I'm looking for the right fit."

"Okay, so let's go over what you have and see what we can find," MacGregor added with a new degree of urgency.

 **September 30, 2552 1835 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia sat across from her father and couldn't help but pick away at her meal. She'd been unable to figure out a way to get to Mars and try to find Mike despite possessing the information for nearly two weeks. She knew what city he was in, what he was doing and where. Trained by ONI, Natalia knew about holding her cards close to her chest. She had to be careful and not tip her hand. But now all she had to do was find a reason. Yet that had escaped her and it was causing tremendous distress and distraction for the driven woman. He was so close and yet so far. So she'd invited her father out for dinner in hopes of enlisting his help.

Spanner Misriah sat across from his daughter, methodically eating his blood rare steak. The billionaire industrialist couldn't help but think that the gorgeous young woman before him looked so much like her mother. He couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken to his ex-wife.

His business had always gotten in the way of their relationship and unfortunately ambition was a jealous lover and so it had sabotaged his marriage. But he had Natalia, she was his greatest treasure and so he'd moved his headquarters operations from New York to Sydney after she'd come back from Reach. He was determined to restore some form of relationship with her so had relocated to his satellite office in the capital city of the United Earth Government with MacKenzie Wainwright and a small support staff.

But then the tactical businessman had to admit that wasn't his sole reason. He was also secretly shifting production from his main manufacturing base on Mars to a series of other less-known facilities after the defeat on Reach so this was a good way to monitor the UEG Industrial Council and keep them at bay. The bureaucratic organization would stall his relocation with red tape and so he was doing it without authorization. It was his empire and he wasn't going to allow some pencil pushers in Sydney to screw that up. Of course Niccolo his Smart AI could have handled most of this but there were some things that an Artificial Intelligence couldn't do. Like plot, scheme and distract. That took a human touch.

Misriah couldn't help but lament a bit the pragmatism of what he was doing. His desire was to reunite with his daughter and yet he was using it as an opportunity to stay ahead of the pack. Sadly, the brilliant strategist had to admit that was the story of his life.

The pair was in the finest restaurant in Sydney, a place where you had to be connected to get a table. The place was packed with high-ranking UEG officials, rich business people and glamorous entertainers. The Credits were flowing and it was the kind of place the masses would love to come to just look at the people.

Still, Natalia couldn't help but think back to the MRE's she'd eaten on Reach. The food at the restaurant was exquisite, the service impeccable, but the Meal, Ready-to-Eat had been shared with Mike and she'd actually been doing something with her life. There she'd actually made a difference, helped to save lives and fight a ruthless enemy. Here she was just taking up space. Still, her troubled mind reminded her, the fight had been futile. Reach had fallen, the planet glassed and likely millions had been slaughtered. Yes, she was alive but perhaps only due to the intervention of the man sitting across from her.

"Natalia?" her father said, trying to break her out of the funk she obviously was in.

"Pardon?" she replied a bit absently.

"I said, to what do I owe the honor of this invitation?" Spanner asked his daughter, his penetrating eyes boring into her.

"What do you mean?" Natalia asked, trying unsuccessfully to deflect the pointed question as he continued to look at his daughter as if analysing her like a stock chart.

"I mean you never ask me out for dinner and never to Tetsuya's unless you're looking for something," her father answered without a note of irritation. He was a man used to using all he had to get his way so didn't begrudge it in his daughter.

Natalia looked around the exclusive French-Japanese restaurant that had been famous for fine-dining for hundreds of years and tried to mask a tone of irritation. "And why do I need a reason to have dinner with my father, especially when he's been gone for so long lately?"

"Were that true," Spanner responded a bit wistfully. What sat before him was a product of his own creation, he reminded himself, but still, it was a pleasant illusion. "Very well, what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing of note really," Natalia responded, unable to hide the tone of bitterness in her voice. "I feel like I'm stuck at the Hive. I do nothing other than shuffle files and prepare briefings. It seems like I have no place."

"Well you went through a lot on Reach," her father reminded her. "Command probably just wants you to get your feet back under you."

"I want to do something!" Natalia exclaimed sharply, then marshalling her growing emotions added, "I'd like to get off planet."

"What do you mean?" Spanner asked warily

"I don't know, maybe go on an inspection tour of some of your facilities," his daughter replied, trying to sound non-committal.

"Like where?"

"Like Mars, maybe?" Natalia could see the tension rise in her father at the mention of the planet. Though he did the best he could to seem neutral the veins on his neck bulged.

"I think you need to stay put and do your job," Spanner answered firmly. Then seeing the look of distress in his daughter softened his tone. "Give it time. Besides, you can't just pick what you want; Admiral Parangosky would need to approve any reassignment."

"What? And you couldn't ask her to approve something like this? I'm doing nothing of value now. Besides, you did it before when I was assigned to Noble Team on Reach," Natalia observed bitterly. "There's no difference."

"Much has changed since then Natalia," Spanner responded heavily, looking out the picture window onto Kent Street. Evening was falling on the popular heritage district and so the crowd was beginning to swell, all oblivious to the reality of what was happening in space not as far away as he would like. "It's not that easy. Besides, why mention Mars specifically? What's of interest there?" Spanner went back onto the offensive.

Natalia was caught off guard by the question. "I don't know…nothing. I just know you have factories there and it's been years since I've visited Mars." Her face reddened as she tried to mask her emotions.

"Well, I think for now you should stay put and focus on moving forward with your life," her father declared, noting his daughter's uneasiness. He would have a few questions for Niccolo his Smart AI when they were done.

"But…"

"But nothing. We're at war and you're in the Navy. You can't just go off on a whim because you're bored," he lectured. "Reach was different," the observant man cut his daughter off, correctly guessing her coming protest. "There was a purpose to that, to give you field experience. You got it, more than you needed. You are too valuable to be running off on foolish errands and putting yourself at risk. We have expendable people who do those types of things and they're not you."

 _Yea, like Mike_ , she said to herself bitterly. She would get no help from her father. That was little surprise but she couldn't help but be disappointed. She'd hoped all the events from late would have changed things between then but they hadn't. He was still playing games and she was still a piece in it. Natalia picked away at her food and tried to think of something else to talk about.

 **September 30, 2552, 1045 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Adam returned from a workout in the candidate's gym, deep in thought. Their training for the morning had been scaled back which meant another round of cuts was coming. The thoughtful teen had figured out the pattern over a week ago. There would be a series of tests and scenarios then a pause while Lieutenant Commander Mike and Gunny MacGregor would assess the results and pare the group down. At the pace they were going Adam figured it would only be another day or two before the final team was selected. He'd been challenged by the testing beyond anything he'd ever experienced but while some on his team had chaffed at it he'd been exhilarated. No matter what hardship or curve ball he'd risen to the challenge and more often than not been able to lead his team to success and so they were still in the hunt. He was also beginning to understand the Lone Wolf and his methods. Though the legendary Spartan seemed cool and detached, leaving the shouting to the gunny it was obvious he not only was a keen observer but he cared. But then Adam realized this was no abstract exercise for Mike-B312. He would be going into combat, he would be trusting his life, in the hands of these rookies. So it did matter to him. Adam also knew he wanted to be part of that team.

Entering the Rapier Team area Adam immediately knew something was wrong. Spencer was storming around the small space while Dilhan sat on his bunk with a forlorn look.

"What's going on?" Adam asked, a note of panic entering his voice as he began to realize his volatile teammate was packing.

"We've been released," he spat out in disgust. "The Lone Wolf has cut us loose. We're being sent back to the Gamma Company pool for assignment."

"What? How did you find you?"

"MacGregor called us in to see the boss. Told us we were done with this project but wished us luck."

"Just like that? We're done?" Adam couldn't believe it. All his hopes of working with this new team had just been jettisoned. What would they do?

"Not we, genius, me and Dilhan," Adam shot back, his beefy face reddening with anger.

"You mean…," Adam began but was cut off by Alissa.

"They're breaking up the team."

Try as he might to mask it the wave of relief that came over Adam was obvious to any looking.

"Yea, that's what I thought," Adam sneered, coming over to the smaller teen. "Just what you wanted, wasn't it? Get rid of me so you can be the hero."

Spencer, it's not like that!" Alissa protested.

"Shut up!" Spencer yelled back. "I hope you get picked for the team because you'll be dead in a month with that psycho leading."

The enraged teen clenched his fists and looked as if he was about to take his anger out on the smaller Adam. But he held his ground, meeting the stare of his bigger teammate. It was obvious by the look on his face that Spencer was considering taking a run at Adam but something in the steely look unnerved the bigger Spartan so instead he pushed past him and ordered, "Come on Dilhan, let's get out of here. We've not good enough for Mike's chosen," and stormed out of the room.

Adam breathed an imperceptible sigh of relief and then noticed that Maia had moved into a supporting position to cover him if things had gone bad. He met the grim look of the quiet girl and continued on with what he was doing. There was much Adam needed to think about but things stuck out, they were now at the point where they were breaking up the existing teams as they moved towards the final group and second, they were still part of it.

 **October 1, 2552, 0930 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Adam didn't have to wait long to get his answer. The next morning there were five candidates left. Three from Team Rapier and two from Team Claymore. No one talked as they ate breakfast, there was a sense of nervous anticipation for what was to come.

Gunny MacGregor entered the mess hall purposefully. "Adam, CO wants to see you in his office, now," the ODST NCO barked.

Maia and Alissa both looked at Adam with startled faces. They'd though the cuts were over. Panic seized the thoughtful teen since he'd gotten used to the idea of being on the new team, especially with his two remaining teammates. How could there be anyone else released, there was only five of them? Then it occurred to him, the rumor was out that another member of Noble Team had survived. Maybe he was going to be the fifth? Or someone else from Beta Company? Regardless, the teen had never felt heavier as he walked to his fate. Coming to the closed door of the team office he knocked.

"Come in," Mike ordered from within

"Adam-G040 reporting as ordered, sir," he stated nervously, standing at attention.

"At ease Adam, sit down," Mike ordered, offering a chair.

As Adam sat down he tried to assess the Lone Wolf. The famous Spartan was relaxed and he had a hint of a smile on his face. It wasn't the kind of look from an executioner about to dispatch a victim. The look didn't fit the situation but then the teen reminded himself that there would be no malice here, not with Mike. MacGregor maybe but not Mike, this was just war, it wasn't anything personal.

"Adam, I want to tell you how impressed I've been with your performance during testing the last few weeks, you've shown some exceptional skills," Mike began.

 _Oh no, here it comes_ , Adam thought, heart breaking, _here comes the 'but there's no room for you on this team'._

"So that's why I'm promoting you to petty officer 1st class and naming you 2ic of the new team."

"What?" Adam blurted out in stunned surprise, not only at the change of perceived events but also that he was being promoted two ranks.

"You were expecting something else?" Mike asked with a chuckle, his granite grey eyes dancing.

"I…I thought you were going to send me packing," Adam confessed, still stunned by the news but he added a quick, "sir," trying to get back on track.

"No, far from it," Mike answered, still amused by the response of the naïve teen _. I wonder if I was ever like that_ , he thought to himself, and then added, "You were the best candidate by far."

"Thank you, sir," Adam responded, proud of the recognition. Then the quick-thinking teen decided to take a risk and ask a question. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking, why didn't you pick an existing team rather than breaking us up?"

"Good question, petty officer," Mike said with a nod of satisfaction. "If you'll notice there are the remnants of two teams. I wanted familiarity but not too much familiarity. We are going to meld into a new unit, a new family, and that means a new direction. I didn't want to have to be the odd man out."

Adam observed Mike had an unusual, sad look come over his hard face, like the idea was upsetting to him. He'd never thought of Mike-B312 as being anything more than a legendary machine. Yet he realized the man was no different than he was. Maybe a little bit older, Adam figured he was in his early 20's, but yet they had a shared experience and Mike wanted to fit in as much as he did. That gave the teen a new respect for their commanding officer.

Mike watched the teen processing his response and could see him mulling it over. Adam was a thinker, Mike observed, and didn't jump into things hastily like many of the Spartan III's did which was a good character trait. He was happy with the teen's response.

"Makes sense, sir," Adam affirmed. "I can see why that would be a concern for you."

"Glad to hear it," Mike responded, and then playfully added, "and besides, would you really have wanted to go into combat with Spencer?"

Adam couldn't help but laugh out loud at his commander's correct assessment.

"All right, let's go and formally introduce the new team," Mike declared, ready to move forward.

By the time Mike and Adam returned to the mess hall the four remaining Spartans were already standing in line with Gunny MacGregor off to the side. Catching the pair enter the room the NCO barked out, "Officer on the deck."

The four immediately came to attention, eyes forward.

"As you were," Mike responded.

The new team moved to the at-ease position smoothly and Adam joined the end of the line.

Mike noticed Maia gave Adam the slightest look, which he responded to. _Good,_ he thought to himself, _they're communicating already._ "Listen up. You can probably figure out by now that you five are my new team. We put you through a lot. Some of it was fair, a lot wasn't. The purpose was to test you to find out those who were suitable for small party, close quarters combat. I'm not looking for robots I'm looking for Spartans who can think and react independently. And you are it. You've been tested also on your skills and abilities and so Gunny MacGregor is now going to let you know what your role will be on the new team. Gunny."

"Sir!" MacGregor snapped to attention and came to the center of the room. "We threw a lot at you because we were looking for the best of the bunch because a lot will be expected of you. Know this, it'll only get harder from here. Still, well done." He crisply took the datapad from under his arm and began to read out the contents on the screen. "Adam-G040, promoted to petty officer first class, role, second-in-command. Maia-G252, petty officer third class, role, comms and team medic. Alissa-G170, petty officer third class, role, sniper. Terrell-G247, petty officer third class, role, heavy weapons. Matt-G101, petty officer third class, role, assaulter."

MacGregor gave a nod at the conclusion and returned to his previous place. As the ODST walked past Terrell he asked in a low voice, "How's that leg of yours?" referring to the first day of training when he'd cracked the tall African-American Spartan behind the knees for speaking out of turn.

"Fine gunny, no problem," Terrell answered, having forgotten the incident and moved on.

"Good lad," MacGregor answered. "You're going to do very well."

Mike looked at the five who returned his gaze, satisfied with his choice but nervous for the days ahead. "That is all. You can relax for the morning, you earned it, but right after lunch we begin our real training. What you've gone through was testing, now we begin to prepare for what's ahead. Welcome to the Wolf Pack."


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **October 1, 2552 1045 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Spanner Misriah had been having an unusually busy day. Armaments orders had increased and he was having trouble meeting demand. The transfer of the bulk of his production was almost completed and he'd been able to accomplish it, it seemed, without the UEG's Department of Commercial Shipping finding out. The information he'd received at Reach had caused him no measure of concern. He knew the Covenant would find Earth and if they did they'd find Mars and all his manufacturing facilities. So he'd been starting to shift production to plants on Earth and several other planets. The problem was he'd not informed the Industrial Council so was doing it under the radar. That was hard enough without increased orders. While he loved Earth and was patriotic towards it he also was a businessman and was looking towards his future so had no plans on being caught with his proverbial pants down.

The aggressive businessman congratulated himself on his foresight but still he was not content. It wasn't business or even the threat of Covenant invasion that bothered him, something else was troubling the successful billionaire.

It was his conversation with Natalia that stuck with him like a burr

"Niccolo," he called out after electronically sealing the door to his office.

"Here, my lord," his Smart AI answered, appearing in the form of a Renaissance era gentleman compete with soft velvet cap.

"What's happening on Mars?" the executive asked, trying to figure out clues to this puzzle.

"Production at our remaining facilities is steady and guards have been increased to keep the curious out. All our operations appear to be fully staffed, as ordered," the AI answered in a distinct Italian accent. The AI had taken on the form and avatar of Niccolo Machiavelli a philosopher from Earth's 16th century. The fact that a civilian had a Smart AI was a testimony to Spanner Misriah's wealth and influence.

"Very well." Misriah had to frame the question differently. He hadn't wanted to tip Niccolo to his true intent for calling him. He wanted to have the guise of power over everything. "Is there any unusual activity happening? Anything that sticks out?"

It took Niccolo about two seconds to respond which for a human would have been the equivalent of reading all the books in an entire section of a library. "All is functioning under normal parameters and historical boundaries, my Lord. Civil government is stable, UNSC military activities have been ramped up but that is to be expected after Reach, industrial output is at high volumes and there have been no increases in crime." The AI paused for a nanosecond, as if assessing the asker. "May I ask the nature of your inquiry, sir, so as to be able to better assess what you are looking for?"

Spanner swore to himself. Niccolo had figured out he was fishing for something. He wanted to say that he'd like information on why his daughter who hated Mars was suddenly interested in going there but he wouldn't tip his hand, not at this point anyway. He wanted to continue to at least project the image he was in control.

It seemed that not only AI's had avatars.

 **October 1, 2552, 1100 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Wolf Pack…Adam liked the sound of that and he was now 2ic of the new team. That would still take some processing. Matt didn't seem too pleased with the appointment though Terrell appeared comfortable with it _. It'll take some time for us to gel_ Adam reminded himself. He'd vaguely remembered the pair from Onyx but had never mixed with them. That was his nature: a bit reflective and solitary. Team Rapier had been his family and he'd stuck with them. While still getting used to the idea of Dilhan and Spencer being gone the idea was already growing on him. He'd always been in the shadow of the bigger, louder Spartan and so now could truly thrive, he felt, in this new environment.

Mike had moved the five into a new team area so that no one could be territorial. In addition he had moved his own things there as well. Time to start being a team.

"Promoted to PO1 and team 2ic? Way to go Adam," Alissa congratulated him, as they sorted out their new berths.

"Thanks," Adam responded, uneasy with the acclaim and also the look he was getting from Matt. The black haired former member of Team Claymore was easily the biggest of the five and didn't seem happy with the command structure. He went over to him and said, "Hey, I'm glad you and Terrell made the team. It's going to be great working with you."

"Humph…," Matt snorted, obviously displeased. "Would have been better if the CO had kept our full team together. We ran circles around you guys."

"As if," Alissa shot back angrily before Adam could speak. "I saw the vid of you guys doing that warehouse clearing last week. It should be on the Comedy Channel."

"Hey!" Matt snarled, his dark grey eyes flashing. "What do you mean by that?"

"That's what I thought," Alissa smirked, "too thick to figure it out."

The two continued to quarrel, drawing Terrell and Maia into the argument.

 _Great,_ Adam thought, unsure what to do. _2ic of the team and I can't stop this. Some team. I thought I would be done with this when Spencer left and now I'm going to have to deal with Matt,_ he thought with a fatalistic air. One seemed to be replaced by the other. _What would Mike think?_

You sure about this, sir?" Gunny MacGregor asked as he and Mike watched the confrontation on a video monitor. "It's not too late to call back the last batch of recruits we sent out."

"No, this is a natural outcome. We've stripped them from the team they've known for 6 years and thrown them together," Mike sighed. Though he understood it, he wasn't happy. Again he wondered if he was the right man for the job.

"Want me to go and break it up?" the ODST NCO asked.

"No, let it play out," Mike shook his head. "We've got a bit of time to come together."

"Yea, wait 'til they start working with you. That'll be a new challenge for all of you," MacGregor correctly surmised.

"We'll throw them into a couple of scenarios where they have to work together. They'll bond. Besides, they need to learn to channel their aggression. I got a file from Lieutenant-Commander Kurt from Currahee. Apparently when they played around with our bodies to make us they screwed around with the minds of these poor sods. They did some reprogramming with their brains during the augmentation program for the III's to make them tougher and more aggressive. They were given some kind of mind-altering mutagen which allows them to shrug off traumas to the body that even a Spartan II couldn't take. Problem is if it's not countered they could become psychotic."

"So that's why they've been getting the regular supplements of Cyclodexione-4 and Miso-olanzapine," MacGregor connected the dots. "Poor bastards." Then his eyes narrowed angrily and he spat in a nearby trash bin, "Bloody ONI."

Mike didn't comment but he shared the gunny's anger. He knew what the augmentation process had done to him and how hard he struggled to keep it all together. To mess with the Spartan's mind may have been more efficient on paper but it was just plain cruel.

"This stuff can lead to bouts of hyper-aggression," Mike confirmed. "I need to find the balance point so we need to work that out of them before we get into the field."

"Okay, well it sounds like it's going to be a fun couple of week," MacGregor declared empathizing with his CO. But then his expression shifted and became rock hard. Mike had his job to do and so did he. The ODST wasn't about to let sentiment get in the way of his orders. "And just as we discussed, me and the boys aren't going to hold back just because you're out in the field with your little lambs, sir."

Mike chuckled. "I think you're looking forward to this, gunny."

"Oh I am, but what about you, sir?" MacGregor asked.

That was the question, Mike thought. Was he? No, after Reach that had changed as well. Instead he was prepared for what lay ahead of him.

 **October 3, 2552, 1530 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The rain that had continued to fall all day formed a mist that made it hard to see. The Wolf Pack had been inserted by Pelican dropship north of Losantiville well away from any developed area. They were in a hilly, barren area dotted by copper-red coniferous trees. The team was on a stealth insertion mission with the goal of moving towards an abandoned logging compound and securing a package that had been placed in one of the buildings. While all carried weapons none were loaded. They'd spent their time since the team had formed getting used to working together and while they'd seemed to gel okay this was going to be their first real test against a live opponent, not simulators

As usual, the enemy force was ODSTs. Though they were no longer allowed to beat anyone captured the team had found out they were adapt at liberally using stun rounds and the Spartans being in black BDU's not armor didn't help their disposition. The five members of the team hadn't realized how much they'd come to rely on their armor during their days on Onyx. They felt naked; vulnerable without it. Mike had to confess to a degree of the same feeling. While the former members of Gamma Company were issued with SPI armor he had the luxury of MJOLNIR and he found even going into a simulated combat experience he missed that protective shell.

They'd been dropped early in the morning and had carefully worked their way to a position to observe the designated area. The 'Identification of Friend or Foe' or IFF system used to tag friendly or hostile forces had been turned off on the Heads-Up-Display of their helmets, the only armor they wore. They did have the location marked and satellite map access but would not have the luxury of the tracking device.

Mike was allowing Adam to lead the exercise since this was an opportunity for the young 2ic to grow and him to observe. The previous two days had gone okay. They'd gone through some simple exercises the first day, spent some time on the range and basically had the chance to get used to the new team and their roles the first day. Yesterday they'd spent the morning working on role-specific skills with the ODST directing staff. In the afternoon they'd began some tactical movement exercises which had been choppy. There was a hesitancy of movement that would need to be fixed but Mike reminded himself they were new working together and it would take time.

The Lone Wolf observed Adam pick a route for the next bound of their exercise. They were getting close and the chance of running into the enemy force was growing causing tensions to rise. Adam picked a route he wouldn't have but silently Mike decided to let it play out.

"Wrong way, boss," Matt called out over the comms a bit derisively, but echoing Mike's thoughts. "We're going to be too exposed. We should go this way," and the aggressive teen set a new waypoint.

"No, this is the way I've chosen. If we move quickly and use the mist we'll get there sooner," Adam responded, supporting his position.

"That's not going to work."

"Well that's my choice," Adam shot back doggedly.

"That's not your call, Matt," Alissa interjected as the whole group stopped moving and became engaged in the confrontation. "Shut your mouth and do your job."

"Who are you to say that?" Matt shot back angrily, "his little protector?"

"Gotta keep moving," Terrell commented, covering the rear. Sweeping the area with his empty M247 General Purpose Machine Gun, he added, "Standing around is only going to get us caught."

Mike agreed with the light-skinned African American. They couldn't stop in this location but he kept silent since he wanted the other members of the team to sort this out.

"Well, I'm in charge and this is the route we're taking," Adam stated assertively, "Let's move." And with that he began to walk stealthily into the shadows.

"I think it's wrong," Matt argued but he fell in line with the others and began to move.

Adam tried to control not only his breathing but his racing heart. Anger at his new teammate welled up inside of him. He was not going to let this turn out like it had years earlier with Spencer. He was the 2ic, he'd earned it and no loud-mouth was going to undermine it.

The team moved quietly closer to their position for another 15 minutes and as he calmed down Adam realized Matt had a point. The route he'd picked had not perhaps been the best but he'd been put in charge and he'd selected it. The aggressive teen shouldn't have questioned it from that point.

 _True,_ Adam thought, _but I also should have asked for input when we set out and got the buy-in before we moved. They were supposed to think and he'd denied that opportunity. Stupid!_ Adam chided himself. They were all still learning. He'd do better the next time, he promised himself.

Mike was still nervous about the tension in the new team and second guessed himself for the thousandth time. He wasn't used to being in such a passive role as advisor and mentor and it went against his own aggressive nature. He'd need to talk to Adam about how he led and Matt about how he made suggestions. Filing the thoughts away he surveyed the hilly, increasingly tree-filled terrain. The area had been part of a logging operation in the past. The compound they were heading towards had been the base of operation. Looking at the copper red trees Mike wondered how they'd gotten there in the first place. Had they been a natural part of the terraforming process? Probably not. The big Atmospheric Processors that had made the formerly barren place habitable would not generate something like that. No, they would have been planted. They were part of someone's design or vision for the place. _Kind of like me_ , Mike thought _. I was formed as part of someone's vision_. He'd been made into a Spartan, not born this way yet he thought anew as he'd been doing lately if there was even something more than that, a grand Designer who had created all things, including him. Could there be some big picture being played out that he was an actor in? He'd spent so many years on auto-pilot as a virtual killing machine he'd never thought of such things. Yet in the last few months, especially after meeting Natalia, he wondered if there was more. Were there things going on beyond the physical realm but in the spiritual perhaps that dictated much of his life? Where did choice come into play and predestination? That was more than he could process.

 _No time to be a philosopher_ , Mike chided himself, they were rolling up onto their objective.

Crouching low and moving in the shadows the team trekked to the crest of the hill selected to give them a view of the compound below. They ensured there would be no silhouette as they stayed just below the lip.

Adam looked at the area below and made his assessment. "Alissa overwatch at the open space 46 degrees out. I'm marking it now. Terrell, you anchor our position here. Matt, Maia and me will move on the position. Sir, you support Terrell. We'll move on the position, grab what we need and fall back here."

"Why don't we wait for night?" Terrell asked quietly. "We're pretty exposed here and don't have anything to fight with."

"Makes sense to me," Matt supported his former Team Claymore member.

"No, quick assault is the best option," Adam countered. ODSTs know we're coming and the longer we wait the better chance they have to find us. We move in fast and fall back to the extraction point. All right?"

"No one spoke though there was an air of indecision.

Alissa moved off to her position followed by Adam and the other two beginning to move carefully down the slope through the tree line.

Mike settled down near Terrell and assessed the situation. The heavy weapons specialist was correct in his assessment; the location was exposed and afforded poor sight lines for approach. He could see why Adam had picked it though, it did seem the logical choice on the map which would mean it was logical to anyone looking. Mike shifted his gaze to the former logging camp to assess the situation. Years of doing this type of thing allowed him to shift easily into a tactical mode. He could see six ODSTs on perimeter duty. Four were static and two roaming. It was a textbook layout. Difficult to penetrate but not impossible. Something about the whole thing didn't seem right. They knew the nature of the exercise though not the objective. They knew the Spartans would be coming but not for what or when. Something just didn't seem right. Then it hit him- this was a textbook guard layout and no ODST would use the text book. Should he warn them? The trio were already down on the floor of the valley and using good cover to get into position. They were invisible to the guards in the camp but not to anyone on the hills above looking down. Still, there was no unusual movement in the camp so he let it play out.

It still wasn't sitting right, his intuition was sending up all kind of alarm signals. He'd allowed Adam to make the call but he also didn't want his new team to get embarrassed. No, he decided, time to call them back and reassess. Just as he was about to do that he heard a tree branch break in the dense forest to his right.

Adam had pushed the pace. He knew they were going in fast but felt the risk was worth it. The ODSTs knew they were coming so speed was critical. They'd made their way to the camp perimeter. It had a chain link fence around it mainly to keep stray animals out. He wondered what kind of animals there were on Mars but blocked the curiosity. A precise incision in the links allowed them in and they moved among several piles of cut copper red trees that were stacked over seven feet tall. The rain continued to fall and the mist shrouded their view which Adam saw as a bonus since it not only made visibility poorer but dampened any sound.

Using hand signals he motioned for Matt and Maia to move with him around several outer buildings to their objective. He knew from satellite images there was a main door and secondary one to their objective. They'd move in, grab the package and move out. It would take less than five minutes.

The trio moved undetected to the door and Adam paused to listen. There was no sound. He signalled Matt and Maia to keep watch for the roving guards and he tested the door handle.

Unlocked.

Good. He turned it and opened the door carefully. The room was black; all the windows had been shuttered. Crouching down he moved in and towards the package on the table in the center of the room. _No sounds Adam,_ he willed himself. His eyes fixed on the objective he began to plan their extraction. Time to think ahead. As he grabbed it, lights went on in the room.

"Hello mate!" an ODST lance corporal called out as he and three troopers emerged from the darkness just as a call came over the comms.

"Contact!" Mike called out urgently, as a hail of stun rounds came down on his position. He was peppered by rounds and pain lanced through his body. He heard Terrell's anguished yelp as a half-dozen ODST's came out of the woods.

"Damn!" Alissa said to herself, watching what was going on. She'd inched out of position as she saw movement below her in the woods.

"Not so fast, little lady," a grinning ODST with helmet off said to her, coming out from a defile of rocks, Assault Rifle leveled.

In one swift motion, she sprang at the Helljumper and swept his feet out from underneath him. The ODST was caught off guard and went down in a heap. Fluidly she dropped her Sniper Rifle and grabbed his weapon. Levelling she pulled the trigger and a three round burst hit the trooper square in the chest. He yelped in pain as the stun rounds hit him. She spied movement to the left out of her peripheral vision and shifted, opening fire, dropping the first ODST coming out. His partner ducked and returned fire. Alissa jumped from one rock cluster to another, taking down another before she herself was brought down by two who'd bisected her route of retreat. She lay their stunned as an angry ODST came over and emptied his clip into her, bringing blissful unconsciousness.

Adam had no time to react. His helmet filtered the light automatically but his mind reacted too slow. He was hit full on with a burst of automatic rifle fire that knocked him painfully to the ground. It was over almost before it began.

A short time later Gunny MacGregor came striding in from the command center he'd been watching the events unfold as Mike and the team lay on the ground of the compound zip tied and surrounded by two dozen ODSTs.

"Kendrick, get them on their feet," MacGregor ordered the stocky lance corporal who'd led the ambush that captured Adam and the assault team.

The blue eyed ODST grinned as he and his team freed the embarrassed members of the Wolfpack.

Terrible!" MacGregor shouted at the team, making no concessions for Mike. "You did no tactical assessment, had no idea of the size or disposition of the enemy force and you blundered in blind. God awful! You'd all be dead if this was real," he roared in his Scottish brogue, spit flying through the air. "You better get your collective heads out of your arses or you'll be no use to us."

Seeing a pair of D77-TC Pelicans inbound on their position he added, "You all can walk back to the original insertion point. You haven't earned a ride from here."

Mike was furious not only at the way they were being spoken to but by what had happened. If he'd run the mission he could have taken their smug opponents apart.

But he hadn't.

His new team had run things. His new team, he emphasized. He was angry and embarrassed by what had happened, especially in front of MacGregor who he'd come to respect immensely.

The walk back to the extraction point seemed to never end. Mike led the way and though he pushed the pace it seemed to go on forever. He kept ahead because he didn't want to talk to anyone. While Matt grumbled mostly to himself Adam walked with his head down most of the way. The others didn't let on if they'd picked this up or not but kept their thoughts to themselves. The rain had let up so while visibility improved the team's disposition didn't. Their BDUs were soaked through from rain and exertion. It was a totally miserable team that made the pick-up spot in the darkness of growing night. To add insult to injury there was no Falcon there; MacGregor had likely called it away, so Mike had to call for pick up.

The Lone Wolf turned team leader had calmed down a bit on their trek through the hilly terrain and had used the silence to think. He'd been unfair to the team, Adam in particular. While the Spartans had gone through years of training they were still learning. They'd faced a group of battle-hardened and motivated ODSTs.

What did he expect?

Mike admitted he'd expected perfection since he'd demanded no less from himself. He was particularly disappointed with Adam who'd run a sloppy mission. But again, that was not fair; he'd never likely done anything of this nature before. The kid had potential, Mike reminded himself, that's why he'd been picked. What should he do? This was new ground for him as well as these teens. He was no leader, he had no experience either. He'd allowed the team to be set up to fail. Instead of blame Adam he should blame himself for not showing them how it was done and leading himself rather than test them yet again.

That's what Commander Carter would have done.

Mike swore to himself at the realization. If blame should rest anywhere it should be on his shoulders. What would Carter do? He'd tell the truth.

"Guys, listen up," Mike called their attention. "I screwed up today and set you up to fail."

Though the other Spartans still had their helmets on he could see he'd gotten their attention by the surprised responses.

"It wasn't on purpose. I shouldn't have thrown you out of the boat like that. We're still learning how to work together and work our roles. I'm sorry. I won't let that happen again."

"No, that was my fault," Adam confessed. "I picked all the obvious spots and I rushed us in there. I also didn't listen to Matt. You had some good suggestions." The troubled teen dropped his head. "I don't think I deserve to be 2ic of the team."

"Hey man, this is on all of us," Terrell countered.

"T!" Matt protested.

"Shut up Matt! I'm sick of your whining too," the lanky African-American cut the aggressive teen off. "If we're going to be a team we got to make this thing work and that starts with us looking out for each other." Then he turned to Alissa, "And I saw you take out that one ODST. Sweet move."

"Thanks," Alissa responded in pleased surprise at the compliment. "But I hurt like hell now for the effort."

"Yea," Terrell gave a pained chuckle, "they sure unloaded on you."

"I think they unloaded on all of us," Alissa responded. "How do you feel, sir?" she asked Mike.

"Not so great," he replied, rolling his painful shoulder out that had been hit twice. "That wasn't fun."

"Now you know how the rest of us feel," Matt added, anger still in his voice.

Mike caught the touch of insubordination but let it go, instead saying, "Yes, I do. Stun rounds hurt."

Despite his frustration Matt couldn't help but laugh. "Stun rounds hurt? You think?"

The rest joined in the laughter, the heaviness of the moment broken. They'd shared their first genuine experience as a team.

Maybe they would be able to come together after all, Mike thought to himself.

The whine of a Pelican's twin engines inbound signalled their ride had arrived. It turned out while they'd been defeated in this particular exercise they'd not been beaten. There was a growing determination by the members, though it remained unspoken, to show they were better than this.

The team arrived back at their base well into the night. The mess hall had been closed by Gunny MacGregor but Mike woke the cooks and ordered them to prepare food for his team.

To the five other Spartans of Team Wolfpack it was a simple gesture but a powerful one. The leader of their new team had sided with them and not with the key member of the directing staff. That meant something. Perhaps they'd come together in the end after all.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **October 4, 2552, 0145 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia paced back and forth in her luxury condo like a caged animal. In truth she felt like one. She'd had dinner that night with her father and MacKenzie had been there too. It was clear her father was angling for them to get back together. She'd hoped to try again to find a way to Mars but she dared not mention it with her perceptive ex there. They'd had several bottles of expensive red wine between them and by the time they'd left Tetsuya's Natalia was feeling the effects. She'd not drank more than a glass or wine or two since coming back so her tolerance was down.

 _Quite the change from the old you_ , she'd thought to herself.

MacKenzie had insisted on seeing her to home to make sure she got there okay. Despite protesting her father had insisted. She felt like she was walking into a Covenant ambush on the Viery Ridge back on Reach.

Her instincts were correct.

"How about we go in for a bit of a nightcap," MacKenzie suggested, looking longingly at her chest while reaching up to stroke her hair.

"No, I have to be in to work early, I should get to bed," Natalia countered, backing up towards her door.

"Aw come on Tali, no one's going to miss you if you're a bit late. It could be like old times," he stated, his deep blue eyes seeking to drown her, simultaneously pressing in close.

But she was not about to drown. The comment in fact lit a spark of anger. The woman stomped down on his foot and then raked the heavy knee high leather boot she'd been wearing with jeans up his shins. "No one's going to miss me, huh? Thanks."

MacKenzie yelped in pain and surprise. "Hey, that's not what I meant," he protested.

"Yea, then what did you mean?" she shot back, aggressively coming forward.

The executive involuntarily backed away in fear. "What's wrong with you Tali? You want to talk about this?"

Mike would have never backed away in fear if she'd come at him. He'd have absorbed her anger and made her feel safe.

"I'm tired MacKenzie," she lied. "Good night."

Natalia turned and quickly opened her door before he could respond. She didn't catch his reply, she didn't want to. Closing the door she stumbled to a leather couch in her living room and crumbled down, tears filling her eyes. Mike was so close and yet so far. She had no way to get to him and a creeping fear began to envelope her that if she did he'd not want her back. Every day they were apart, every hour, she could feel herself being tempted to fall back into her old life. She was strong, determined and even head strong but no one could hold out forever.

So she paced back and forth, planning and scheming, then throwing out the plan and starting over again, becoming more frustrated and more forlorn.

 **October 4, 2552, 0700 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike sat in his office with Colonel Ackerson doing a debrief of the previous day's activities. While it was a regular exercise for the pair this one Mike felt a mounting tension. Not only was he still sore from the stun rounds but this was the first time the team had obviously failed.

"Overall you're making good progress, Mike," Ackerson began, looking at several reports on his datapad.

 _But,_ Mike thought to himself, here it comes.

"But yesterday's performance showed some significant gaps in the development of several of your team's skill sets," Ackerson added without emotion.

"We've not been at this very long, sir," Mike countered, defending not only his group he felt but his own choice. "Given time they'll gel. I'm very confident in their abilities.

"That may be but none the less, you are sadly lacking in the area of stealth. I've seen that not only in yesterday's actions but the days previous. Therefore I'm going to get you some help with infiltration tactical teaching."

There it was, out in the open and Mike didn't like it. "Sir, I did that for five years. I can handle that end of the training."

"Yes, I'm sure you could," Ackerson countered, catching the defensiveness in Mike's voice. "You're in the team now, you can't really teach and lead," the head of the unit explained. "Plus, it'll take too long and we don't have the time. I'm adding someone to the training staff who'll help with this."

"But I don't think…." Mike began but was cut off by Ackerson.

"It's not your call, lieutenant commander," the colonel declared. "I've already called for The Whisper to come in as an adjunct trainer.

Mike had heard of the Whisper. The Spartan operator was quite well known as a stealth expert with the ability to get in and out without being seen. Not really a fighter, their rep had been built on the ability to move without being seen. The idea for the Wolfpack made sense but Mike still didn't like it. Already he felt as if this was his family and didn't want any 'expert' coming in to tell him how to do this. Still, the seasoned veteran knew where things were heading and had been in the UNSC long enough to know the plan wasn't going to change. He retreated behind the walls he'd built over the years to guard his emotions and feelings. He'd spent a lot of time outside of the self-imposed exile of late and had begun to get used to it.

 _Got to watch yourself and who you let in_ , he reminded himself as Ackerson droned. _Already got burned once, not going to let it happen again_.

It did occur to him that only a few weeks earlier he'd wanted input from the senior officer on his staff and how to go about picking his team and now he was resenting the input he'd wanted. _Maybe I still am a lone wolf_ , he thought to himself. _Old ways die hard._

Later that same morning Adam stood at attention as Mike sat at his desk going over something on his datapad.

"Have a seat Adam," the commander of the Wolfpack ordered without looking up, as if realizing the Spartan was standing awkwardly before him.

Adam could tell something was bothering the famous Spartan. They'd not known each other that long but it was obvious. _Gonna demote me_ , he thought to himself. _I can't blame him. Matt'll likely be a better choice_. The teen chided himself again for his failure the previous day. It had been his moment and he blew it. He'd lay awake most of the night running it over and over in his mind. He could clearly see the poor choices that he'd made that had gotten them in trouble. At first he'd been angry with Mike for letting him blunder along but then realized the Lone Wolf had been giving him a chance to pull it out. In truth, he couldn't be angry at his CO, he was more embarrassed.

"Things didn't go that well yesterday, did they?" Mike asked, looking up from his datapad.

 _Here it comes_ , Adam thought to himself.

"So what did you learn?"

"Pardon?" Adam blurted out, blindsided by the question, then hastily added, "sir."

Mike couldn't help but chuckle at the confused Spartan before him. He'd been angry at the team but it was more driven by ego. He was angry now with Colonel Ackerson for the perceived interference with his team by bringing in a 'specialist' but he was determined to not take it out on the teen standing before him who was trying his best and had tremendous potential.

"So what did you learn?" Mike repeated. He could see the teen's dark blue eyes cloud at the question in confusion. "You were perhaps thinking I'd say something else?"

"Yes sir," Adam confirmed. "I thought you were going to fire me."

"Hmm," Mike rested his solid chin on his hands. "No, that wouldn't be fair. I already put you in an unfair position and I'm sorry about that." He paused, measuring his words. "Adam, we're both learning as we go. I've not had a lot of command experience and you don't have the field experience. Pretty sad pair, huh?"

Adam tried not to but couldn't help but laugh, the tension broken. "Maybe, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Good, because I wouldn't want anyone else working with me," Mike declared genuinely.

Adam was touched by the compliment. "Me either, sir."

"All right then, let's figure out what we can learn from yesterday's mess."

Forty-five minutes later Adam walked into the common room for the team with a confidence he'd perhaps never felt before. Not only had he kept his position but he felt genuinely respected. Mike had confidence in him and so the two had worked together to learn from the previous day's exercise.

"You keep your stripe?" Matt poked at Adam, looking up from the Assault Rifle he'd been stripping down and reassembling.

"It went okay. We reviewed where I screwed up," Adam acknowledged.

"No, where 'we' screwed up," Alissa defended her teammate, ready to fight again with Matt.

The largest member of the team opened his mouth to rebut but was cut off by Maia.

"No, Alissa. It was Adam that screwed up yesterday," she declared evenly. "He was in charge and he didn't look for any input from us. It's on him."

Matt seemed pleasantly surprised by the declaration so held his tongue.

"You're right Maia. And again, I'm sorry," Adam apologized sincerely. "The CO and I had a good debrief and I learned a lot." He then looked at the team and Matt in particular. "I won't let you guys down again, promise."

"Yo, no problem, man," Terrell joined in. "That's what trainings for, right? We learn and we all learn together," he stated, looking in particular at Matt. Then he shifted gaze to Maia and changed the subject. "Hey Maia, where you from?"

"New Mombasa," she responded quietly.

"No kidding? I heard that was a pretty nice city. Why'd you join up?" the affable heavy weapons operator asked curiously.

"Parents died."

"And?" Terrell asked as Maia avoided eye contact, shifting her gaze to the floor.

"She doesn't like to talk about it, Terrell," Alissa cut in, stepping over to stand guard over her teammate.

"Fair enough," he responded, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly though his chocolate brown eyes showed sympathy for the position. "What about you? You wanna tell your story?"

"Not much to tell," Alissa stated, a hard look coming over her attractive face. "I come from this red rock."

"No kidding? You come from Mars?"

"Yea, a place called New Harmony."

"Is that the city with the space port?" Terrell asked, getting his bearing.

"Yes," Alissa responded, nostrils starting to flare.

"What's it like here?" the teen Spartan asked curiously. "We haven't seen much."

"It sucks. Nothing but factories and red dirt," Alissa stated hardly.

Matt snorted at the response but seemed to like it. "So no home sweet home to keep you here?" he asked, joining the conversation.

"No, mom died having me. It was just dad and me," the sniper stated with the first hint of emotion other than anger coming into her voice. "He was with 53rd Armored. Died at the Battle of Actium."

"No kidding?" Matt seemed to be impressed. "That was a pretty good unit I hear."

"Let no one here question our place in human history. That we are here right now is not a coincidence or accident. It is our fate. And this war, our birthright, our legacy," Alissa declared, her voice rising with each word.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Terrell asked in confusion.

"Its part of a speech the CO of the 53rd gave to his troops before the battle," Alissa answered with passion. "I memorized it when I heard it reported after my dad died…," she let her voice trail off before the fire returned. "I'm here to kill Covenant."

"Sounds like we got something in common," Terrell declared, gesturing as well to Matt.

"Amen to that," Matt agreed with gusto.

"What happened to you?" Alissa asked Terrell, still in an agitated state.

"Came from Sargasso. Covvies glassed it in '46. I got evac'ed out before that. It sure was different then this place. The trees, the flowers…it was a paradise. Until…," the faraway look in the African-American Spartan evaporated as he thought of his home. "Anyways, Matt's got a similar story."

"Except I couldn't wait to get away from New Llanelli," Matt declared. "I had no interest in being a farmer. Just wish it hadn't taken the Covenant burning it and killing my family," he added angrily.

"No kidding," Maia added quietly, rejoining the conversation.

Adam couldn't help but smile at his new team mate who seemed to be working hard to build bridges between the members of Team Rapier and Team Claymore.

"Adam, you not going to join us in this?" Terrell asked.

"I don't like to talk about it," Adam blurted out, caught off guard by the question while simultaneously being taken back to a part of his past he desperately wanted to forget.

"Come on, you special? We're all telling our story, your turn," Matt pressed him.

Adam didn't respond, he was lost in the memories that had been triggered. Beads of perspiration welled up on his forehead and a panicked look came over his face.

"Don't worry about," Terrell cut off his former teammate, seeing the growing anxiety, "another time."

Adam didn't respond, he was already lost in the horror of his memories. It was going to take some time for him to get his heart out of his throat.

Mike had the team in the classroom for the remainder of the day with an extended time in the gym to burn off the pent-up energy from the academic exercise. The following day they worked alone as a team on what they'd studied previously. The Wolf Pack worked through several abandoned factories as per the training directives but for Mike he knew they needed something more, something real that would test them without the pressure of the ODST. On the spot he decided to go off plan. It was one of those by-products of being the Lone Wolf. He decided the team would infiltrate a working factory that was in full production. There were several in the area. He chose a sprawling structure producing small arms not far from their training area. The large word _Misriah_ lit up for the world to see on the side had given him the stimulus to do it. He hadn't asked for permission, which was the point. Mike was still smarting from Colonel Ackerson's perceived rebuke by bringing in an instructor. He wanted to prove to himself he could do it. Plus, he didn't know what the skillset of this other operator would be so wanted to be sure what he required of his team would be realized. Already he was becoming protective of the Wolf Pack.

This time they were in full armor. He wore the MJOLNIR Mark V array he'd had on Reach. He'd been offered a new and improved setup due to the damage to that one but he'd steadfastly refused and demanded from the armorers for the unit that they repair his existing set. There were too many memories he didn't want to forget. So while the integrity of the plating had been restored it was still obviously weathered to the eye. It was just what he wanted. The remainder of the Wolf Pack were in the Semi-Powered Infiltration Armor that the majority of Spartan III's were issued. While the Mark II's were not nearly as powerful or shielded as the MJOLNIR making it cheaper to produce it did have the advantage of photo-reactive panels that gave it an active camouflage-like ability. The ability to blend in made it perfect for a mission like this.

Mike thought again about how unfair it was that these teens would be sent into desperate combat and not be properly armored. _Expendable soldiers_ , he thought to himself. _Well my team isn't going to be. I'll give them every advantage I can_. It was then he realized that this 'specialist' might be able to help so decided to not be so belligerent about it.

So they moved in the shadows of the massive factory, avoiding human and surveillance detection alike.

Mike was pleased by how well they'd done and the fact that Colonel Ackerson was furious he would do something like that when he found out later that day made it all the more sweet. Still, something hadn't sat right with him. The place hadn't been nearly as busy as it should have been considering the state of the war. In fact it looked like much of the activities were being undertaken to move equipment and raw materials away from the facility. Despite a curiosity about what was going on it ultimately wasn't his business. There was something more pressing on his mind. There was still a major hurdle they needed to face and he couldn't avoid it. They still had to face and overcome the ODSTs.

The Helljumpers had been so consistently successful against the Spartans since day one that the next morning when Mike announced they were going out into the field on an all-day exercise against them he could see his team members involuntarily cringe. It was obvious they were defeated before they'd even left their barracks. That attitude was poison and needed to be overcome or they'd never be effective in the real war. He knew things had to change.

"Today's going to be different", Mike declared forcefully getting the Spartan's attention. "I'm tired of those smirking assholes lording it over us." That comment got some head nods of acknowledgement. "They have stun rounds, we have nothing. Well we're Spartans and things are going to change. We need to stop worrying about what we don't have and focus on what we do. Spartans innovate and we win. Today I'm going to lead this op." Mike could see the smiles come over the face of his team and sagging shoulders stiffen. "If we work together and we're in all the way we'll win. Today the legend of the Wolf Pack begins. Gear up."

 **October 4, 2552, 0825 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

There was something about the previous evening's dinner with Natalia and MacKenzie that wasn't sitting right with Spanner Misriah. He'd asked the handsome executive at his company how the remainder of the night had gone and received a terse reply. The billionaire industrialist knew his daughter had been traumatized by her time on Reach and had been angry with her arranged extraction but he'd expected her to fall back into her routine of life given time and prodding by her ex-boyfriend. Yet she hadn't gone to any of the clubs or bars she'd once frequented in the past. She was giving MacKenzie the cold shoulder and hadn't reconnected with any of her other friends. Other than work and go to the gym she stayed to herself in her condo.

Something wasn't right.

Though his daughter hadn't asked about Mars again there was something the perceptive businessman felt that said she'd wanted to if MacKenzie hadn't been there. What was it? What was going on on Mars?

"Niccolo."

"Here, my lord," the avatar of his Smart AI appeared instantly.

Then like a freight train it hit him.

It was the Spartan.

"My lord?" Niccolo asked again. "Why did you call for me?"

"Nothing, no reason," Spanner stammered. "I don't need your services for the time being."

The artificial intelligence looked at its master as if seeking to understand what was going on but Spanner Misriah would reveal nothing. He wouldn't dare, not at this point.

"Very well. Call me when you are ready to ask what you had been prepared to." Niccolo disappeared.

 _Damn!_ Spanner thought to himself. _He knows somethings up. Well I'm not about to let that cat out of the bag. This would ruin my reputation._

But it had to be. What was his name? He didn't remember. It didn't matter. He'd figure out what the connection was with Mars and then put a stop to it.

 **October 4, 2552, 0830 Hours, Faunus Forest, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Despite the pep talk tension rose as the Pelican carrying the team neared the designated drop zone. There had been little conversation after the announcement and Mike's speech, each became lost in their own thoughts. Despite their commanding officer's speech each knew the reality of the odds arrayed against them.

Despite the forlorn feelings of his teammates Adam couldn't help but smile. At least he wasn't in charge. Still, he was far from relaxed. The conversation from earlier in the week among the group had come back to him periodically and it always put him on edge. Thinking about that day back on his home planet when he was a child had shaped his life so definitively whenever it was even mentioned it always did that. He worked hard to push the images from his mind but he couldn't. He'd never forget, no matter how hard he tried, that was why he'd joined the Spartans.

The sound of the Pelican preparing to land in a clearing in the densely forested area of their current operation brought the thoughtful teen out of his misery. Something wasn't right, this wasn't their designated LZ.

"Sir, isn't this outside our insertion point?" Alissa asked over the team channel.

"You're right, it is," Mike answered as a sly grin building on his hard face.

"So what's up?" Terrell asked, articulating the growing curiosity of the rest of team.

"We never stand a chance because the ODSTs always know what our insertion points are and the final destination. Plus my bet it they have them under observation as well."

"So we're finished even before we start?" Matt asked angrily.

"Basically," Mike confirmed.

"So what are we going to do this time?" Maia asked, suspecting the seasoned Spartan had a plan.

"We're going to level the playing field," Mike answered. "We're going to do a quick insertion in a couple of minutes. Matt, Alissa and me are going to get out and the rest of you are going to carry on to the designated LZ. You'll wait there while we hump in from cover. If any ODSTs are there observing we'll grab them and take 'em out."

"How's that going to happen, sir?" Adam asked, curiosity drawing him out of the misery of his previous thoughts. "They'll see the three of us and know something's up."

"No they won't," Mike answered cryptically. He chuckled at the confused looks on his team's faces. Reaching into a utility pouch he pulled out a rectangular device that fit in the palm of his hand.

"What's that?" Terrell asked.

"It's a Portable Holo-Projector," Mike answered, "and it's our equalizer."

"Aren't those used for comms?" Maia asked, confused by how the device was going to be of use.

"It is but it can also hold other images. I programmed Matt, Alissa and me in so when you hit the LZ you pop this and then move about like you're preparing to head to the objective. The rest of us will recon up to the position and if anyone's watching we'll try to take them out."

Matt let out a barking laugh. "I love it."

"Isn't that going against the rules of the exercise?" Maia asked, her face scrunched up with concern.

"We're Spartans and we're special ops. We innovate," Mike answered firmly. "The only rules of the exercise against the Covenant is kill them and live. It's time we start acting that way."

A small cheer filled the Pelican as the team processed the new reality.

"Now let's go hunt the hunters," Mike declared.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **October 4, 2552, 0847 Hours, Faunus Forest, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The first group from the Wolf Pack was dropped two kilometers from the designated insertion point at a sheltered spot picked by Mike. They then moved quickly but as silently as possible to where the rest of the team would be dropped. For the Spartans who possessed the physical abilities of an Olympic athlete it didn't take them too long to get there.

Using hand signals Mike had his squad move into a good position for observation. He could see that Adam had set up a perimeter defence which was a good choice considering the three holos projected had limited movement. Mike had picked Matt and Alissa for his group since they were the strongest on the team but left the others for the unnerving part of waiting since they seemed the steadiest.

 _Okay, if I was observing this spot where would I set up?_ Mike asked himself. Looking around he saw several spots that would work. Signalling again they moved in cover towards the most likely location. _Bingo._

They were rewarded with the sight of two ODSTs lying prone behind an outcropping of rocks and low scrub bushes watching what they thought was the full Spartan team milling about. Mike motioned again what he wanted to do and got the thumbs up from his teammates.

Moving silently towards their quarry Mike took the one on the right while Matt and Alissa crept up on the one on the left. As he moved Mike figured that after their successive early victories over the trainees the Helljumpers had become relaxed in their disciple and he wasn't disappointed. Neither of the ODSTs shifted position or did any kind of perimeter check. They seemed content to lie comfortably and watch.

Mike moved in fast giving a savage chop to the back of the ODST's neck where the helmet gasket met the body armor. Stunning his victim Mike violently wrenched the helmet off the shocked ODST to deny him any comms. Just as fast he gave another chop before using a pair of zip ties to truss him up. While doing this he looked to ensure their other target was taken out and was satisfied to see the other two Spartans had been as successful. The leader of the Wolf Pack did a quick sweep of the perimeter to ensure there were no other scouts and then signalled to Adam and the others all was clear. Despite wearing helmets it was obvious the Spartans were pleased with the change of events.

"What the hell?" one of the stunned ODSTs called out.

"Change of plans, pal," Matt shot back proudly.

"All right, take these," Mike handed stun rounds to those carrying MA5B's, quickly stripping the magazines from the older version assault rifle fitted to carry the ordinance of the two captured ODST's. "No time to hang around and gloat. We got to move fast before the rest realize what's going on."

The Wolf Pack pressed out quickly, covering the distance to the cusp of their objective in short order. Again Mike intended to use the ruse with the Portable Holo-Projector again. Their objective had been to penetrate a fire watch tower and station in the hill area that they'd been humiliated days earlier. Mike looked through spotter binoculars and could see one ODST in the tower and another half dozen lounging around outside the station's cabin. He knew there'd be several more inside meaning they again had a quick reaction force hidden somewhere waiting to pounce.

Mike had Adam make a movement to crest a hill and then pull back to hopefully get their attention. Watching the Helljumper in the tower he knew his ruse would work. He and his team had already been moving through cover to their assaulting position. It was a tricky situation since only 4 of them had been carrying MA5Bs so could use the stun rounds. He'd given Alissa his Assault Rifle since she'd proven to be the best shot in the team and plus he wanted them to gain the experience so he was weaponless. Terrell on the blocking team had nothing but his empty heavy machine gun as well so while armed they had limited ammo so had to strike swiftly using the element of surprise.

Finally in position, Mike gave two clicks of his comms to signal Adam to move. He couldn't see the team 2ic but trusted they were now moving timidly along the tree line and towards the objective as planned. He was rewarded by the sounds and sight of movement to his left which meant the ODST hidden force was shifting position to meet the perceived angle of assault.

 _Good, now let's be patient_ , Mike thought to himself as he motioned for Matt and Alissa to follow him quietly. He could now see the tail end of the group and counted six Helljumpers. They were relaxed and seemed to be joking with each other as they moved to intercept the Spartan team coming out of the hills having gotten used to winning so many times before.

 _Not this time_ , Mike thought.

The moment to strike came as they moved between them and the objective. Mike counted _3-2-1_ and Alissa and Matt opened up. While the titanium-based armor the operators wore provided excellent ballistic protection from the non-lethal rounds the impact did mess with the internal systems giving a window of opportunity. Shocked more than hurt, the ODST's reacted to the threat but too late. Mike was among them, beating several down with his fists and seizing the weapons of the others. Not stopping to mop up the shattered force he met up with Alissa and Matt, handing them each a fully loaded Assault Rifle while opening a comms channel.

"Go, go, go!" he called out urgently to the rest of the team as they prepared to break through the cover of the thick woods that had been shielding them and into the open.

As the ODST's at the objective prepared to respond they were met by the assault force coming from the other side. Not expecting the Spartans to be armed the Helljumpers on defense waited too long to react giving the Wolf Pack the time they needed. Though there was a short, sharp exchange of fire from the stun rounds the Spartans were able to subdue and capture the objective. Before any of the defending force knew what was going on the Spartans trussed them all up with zip ties. They'd won.

The ODST's were livid and several had to be cuffed on the side of the head to subdue them, total was the surprise at finally be bested by the trainees.

Fifteen minutes later two Pelicans swooped in kicking up dust at the site which did nothing to help the disposition of the ODST's who'd had their helmets taken off. Trying to fend off the stinging dust and small stones whipped up only mad their outrage greater.

Gunny MacGregor walked off the rear ramp with a stunned look on his face and could only shake his head at the unexpected sight.

"They broke the Rules of Engagement," the outraged corporal in charge of the detail complained. "They used stun rounds on us."

"Your doing?" MacGregor asked Mike, ignoring the protesting Helljumper.

"Improvise, adapt and overcome," Mike responded unapologetic.

MacGregor burst into a full belly laugh that echoed through the opening in the forest. Despite the anger of the defeated ODST group the gunnery sergeant seemed barely able to contain his joy. He looked like a proud parent at his child's graduation. "That's the way you do it, Wolf Pack!" he beamed. "Well done, well done," he enthused in his Scottish brogue. "Now ye know what you're capable of. Let me buy ye all a beer tonight," he declared spontaneously, then catching himself turned to Mike, "With your permission of course sir."

Mike laughed and nodded his head in agreement. He'd not felt this kind of joy for weeks. "Permission granted, gunny. I think I might just join you."

With that the team let out a spontaneous cheer. The wolves had become a pack.

 **October 7** **, 2552, 0915 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Spanner Misriah knew his options were becoming more limited and the path was narrowing for him. He'd been having Niccolo monitor Natalia's data terminal in her office and condo and she'd been searching for information about Mars. At first it had been subtle but now pretenses were gone and it had become more overt. She was definitely searching for something and he feared he knew what it was.

The business magnate`s daughter had not accessed anything to do with his business but rather had been looking at military records. So her pressing him to understand more about his business there didn't fly. Regardless of motive, he didn't want her poking around his operations there and finding out he'd moved most everything without authorization. Spanner Misriah didn't need any more complications. So he had to be sure in order to figure out a strategy.

"Niccolo."

"My Lord," the Smart AI appeared instantly, hovering over top of Spanner`s lacquered desk

"I want you to find out about any Spartan-related activity on Mars," the troubled man ordered.

"For what purpose, my lord?" Niccolo asked with an inquisitive look.

"That's none of your business," Spanner snapped back angrily. "Just find me all the information on SPECWAR Spartan operations."

It took the Smart AI a couple of seconds to respond.

"I've found the answer to your question about Mars."

"Download them to my console and then lock down the office," Spanner ordered brusquely.

"As you wish, my lord," Niccolo responded with a shrug, clearly curious since that was the nature of Smart AI`s. They were always seeking more information.

For nearly a week Natalia's interest in Mars had been eating away at Spanner and causing a distraction he didn't need at this point. Natalia had pressed him again and he needed to know how to respond and to do that he needed information. Opening up his terminal he looked at what Niccolo had provided and it was right there: Spartan Ops, Lt. Commander Mike-B312, officer commanding Team Wolfpack, Special Warfare Group 1.

His fears had proven correct. Spanner`s heart rate spiked at the realization and also the determination to now keep Natalia from 'Mars.

 **October 7** **, 2552, 0920 Hours, HIGHCOM facility Bravo-6,Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Once again Natalia was going through the motions. She anticipated another day of shuffling files and existing in obscurity among the thousands of others who worked out of 'the Hive'. It was less than inspiring.

Captain Osman had sent her on yet another mundane task to receive a report from the Threat Analysis Wing. Why it couldn`t be sent electronically or by messenger escaped the troubled woman but at least it got her out of her office and let her stretch her legs. Passing the painting of 'Admiral Cole`s Last Stand' she paused to take it in. Everyone in the UNSC Navy knew the story and she`d been taught about it at officer school. She`d seen the original of the painting hanging in a prominent hall in the lobby of the Hive dozens of times but hadn`t given it much thought in the past. The heroism of Cole was obvious and it had been well captured in the painting but it made her think of Mike.

What didn`t.

She thought of his last stand at Reach. She`d read the report more times than she could remember. Though details were scarce it was clear he`d stood alone against countless Covenant forces in order to allow a critical UNSC ship to escape the planet. It was an incredibly heroic act.

And he`d stood alone.

She should have been there with him but she wasn`t, she was safely back on Earth and likely sitting behind a desk by then. Condemnation ate away at her anew like acid.

The troubled woman`s mind was so clouded by these dark thoughts she almost missed him. Despite standing nearly 7 feet tall the sailor clad in crisp black BDUs seemed to blend into the morning crowd moving through hub of the building.

It was the tattoo of a hand grasping three arrows rising up beside his left ear of the bald head that gave him away.

It was Jun, her former teammate from Noble Team.

"Jun! Natalia responded in delight. "Jun, what are you doing here?"

The former Noble Team sniper stiffened as he recognized who was speaking to him. Jun was still getting used to the idea he was being removed from operational assignment. The accusation of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder had come back to haunt him and now it looked like he was being pulled from the game, much to his frustration. ONI had taken him from operational taskings and he was now going to be given a training assignment though not told yet exactly who'd he'd been training. For the energetic Spartan the lack of action had been grinding on him plus he'd not been able to find out anything about what had happened to Mike after their separation on Cairo Station. The frustration had only grown each day as reports of Covenant activities around the galaxy were reported.

And there, standing before him with a goofy grin on her face was Natalia Misriah.

Jun said nothing, shocked at the unexpected connection. Unsure what to say, he mumbled, "What?"

"I said, what are you doing here in Sydney?" Natalia asked again, instinctively putting her hand on his shoulder.

Jun didn't like that, nor did he like the happy look on her face. "Still have to work for a living. " He paused to collect his bearings then continued testily, "Only me and Mike got off Reach," he stated without emotion though anger was evident on his face as he pulled away from her touch. "But then you probably know that already being ONI."

"Yes, I heard." Natalia caught the anger in the former Noble Team member. His unexpected negative response to her caught Natalia off guard. "I'm sorry for the rest of the team."

"Thanks," Jun responded stiffly but with no air of gratitude. Then, uninterested in small talk with the connected woman he went on the offensive, deciding to take all his building frustration out on the woman before him who represented what was behind it to him. "Have you been in touch with Mike?"

Natalia didn't know what to say.

"Thought not," Jun blazing eye's fixed on hers.

"Things have been kind of crazy since Reach," Natalia answered lamely, breaking away from his accusing look, wanting to explain but not sure how.

"Yea, I can imagine," Jun shot back without sympathy. "After you cracked out of New Alexandria I can imagine there were lots of places to go and people to see," he declared bitterly.

"It wasn't like that," she pleaded.

A small crowd had formed around the pair at a discrete distance. At ONI headquarters information was like gold and this conversation was beginning to draw people, especially when they realized who was involved.

"But then that comes with privilege," Jun continued, ignoring her plea to understand.

 _Spoiled little rich girl_

The words screamed in Natalia's mind, condemning her just as Jun's words and looks cut into her like a knife. She was facing a full-on assault and couldn't stand it. Unable to respond she stood there, speechless before her former teammate.

Well you take care of yourself, ma'am," Jun declared, throwing the woman who outranked him a hasty salute. "I know that's something you're good at."

With that the Spartan walked away as an excited buzz of hushed conversation broke out in his wake. Natalia stood stunned at the exchange which had gone on for less than two minutes from recognition to this point. Knowing others would talk about what had happened for the rest of the day was bad enough but the voices condemning her from within would be the worst. The heart-broken woman walked quickly away red-faced in shame and embarrassment, unsure how to get away from this latest setback.

 **October 7, 2552, 1300 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike found himself in a good mood as he sat at his desk. The morning had gone well. Ever since their defeat of the ODST force several days earlier the team had moved with a higher level of confidence. The Helljumpers had protested that the Wolf Pack had gone outside the scenario limits and rules of engagement which Mike had to admit was true but in their type of warfare there were few rules other than survive.

Now, with a greater amount of confidence the team had effectively gone through two building clearing scenarios and were really beginning to gel as a team. In many ways they were ahead of his timeline though Colonel Ackerson continued to press the pace. The intuitive Spartan could tell there was something more going on than operational readiness in his superior officer. He wouldn't have cared about office politics if it didn't have the potential for a material impact on him and his team. But it was outside his control and he wasn't about to let it spoil his good mood.

"Sir, the colonel wants to see you in his office right away," Gunny MacGregor entered in and announced.

Too late.

Mike moved quickly from his functional office taking the stairs to the top floor to Ackerson's. The Spartan had chosen a shop foreman's office for his while the colonel had picked the plant manager's opulent suite to work out of. The contrast was fairly obvious but also seemed to reflect well their personalities.

This was to be the meeting with the new training officer that was to help the team with their infiltration techniques. Mike still bristled at the implication that he couldn't handle it with his existing team but it was out of his hands so he had just decided to roll with it.

Entering the office a female Spartan III in MJOLNIR Mark V/Scout armor stood at ease beside Ackerson's desk with her back to the door. Mike at first tried to not look at her, especially as she turned to greet him, the irritation welling up. But then something grabbed him in a vice grip and wouldn't let him go.

It was the eyes.

Lieutenant Commander, I want to introduce you to Warrant…"

"Mel!" Mike blurted out, shocked that he was seeing what he thought was a ghost.

Standing before him was his former teammate and friend from Camp Currahee, Melanie.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **October 7, 2552, 1304 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Why yes, this is Warrant Officer Melanie-B252," Ackerson added, with a note of surprise at the recognition, "she's joining the training staff and will teach your team infiltration skills and tactics."

Ackerson's voice turned into a steady drone, like a swarm of bees, for Mike. He could feel his heart rate rising and his breathing became more shallow like he would suffocate as the reality of who stood before him sunk in. Melanie, who'd been part of his training team, Melanie, who he'd thought had been killed at Operation Torpedo, Melanie, who he'd had some kind of special feelings for what seemed like a lifetime ago, was alive.

She'd matured but she looked exactly the same. He took in every feature. Though the armor masked her body she'd always been lithe and even after enhancement she'd still been lean by Spartan standards. Her straight black hair was non-regulation length, pulled back just past her shoulders and had a pronounced white streak on the left hand side. Her face, though older, still had the attraction to him that had drawn him to her years ago. Her snub nose that he'd always thought as cute back then had grown into womanhood with the rest of her and set off perfectly her eye-catching face. Bringing even more focus was the fact she had a silver nose stud in her left nostril. Still, despite how striking her features had become the thing that defined Mel the most were her piercing deep blue eyes. Though standing at ease and looking at Ackerson she stole looks at Mike out of the corner of those intense eyes.

"So is that clear, Mike?" Colonel Ackerson asked, snapping him out of his fog.

"Sir?" Mike asked in confusion, shaking his head to refocus.

"I said, is that clear?"  
"What?" Mike mumbled, still trying to process what was before him.

Colonel Ackerson sighed heavily, his eyes narrowing in irritation. "What I said, lieutenant commander, is that Melanie is to have full co-operation and access to the team. Gunny MacGregor is to be made aware of this. The operational timetable for the Wolf Pack is not going to be altered so you're going to have to pick up the pace. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir," Mike's face went into an impassive mask though he reddened in embarrassment at being caught not paying attention. He caught a smirk on Melanie's face at his discomfort which irritated him.

"You're sure of that?" Ackerson pressed. "Everything's clear?"

"Crystal, sir," Mike responded back with a note of edge.

"Good," Ackerson relaxed. "Then I'll leave you two to get to the planning of how to get it done."

The colonel left the room so the two could have their reunion.

"Mike!" Melanie happily took two steps towards him and opened her arms for an embrace. "I've heard so much about you the past few years. It's great to finally see you again!"

Mike took a step back and his face became a stone mask.

"I thought you were dead!" he stated in an even tone. His initial shock that led to a confusing flood of conflicting emotions at seeing her had turned to anger.

"Yes, at Torpedo," she responded, perceptively catching his tone.

"Why didn't you let me know? Or let Kat at least?" Mike shot back. "We didn't know." The reality continued to sink in for the troubled man who added bitterly, "She's dead by the way."

Melanie was stung by the accusation and a sad look filled her attractive face. "I heard. She was killed at Reach. I was glad you could be with her when it happened." She looked down at the floor, realizing the gulf between them. "I don't know why I never reached out. You were doing your thing and I just got busy doing mine."

"That's weak Melanie," Mike shot back.

"It was classified."

"So was I but it seems you knew about me," Mike retorted.

"Well sure. You'd become famous," she tried to turn the tone more positive. "It was hard to keep you secret."

"Yea, the famous Lone Wolf," Mike added bitterly.

Melanie caught the tone and could see the pain in the man's face but didn't know what to say. She'd been nervously looking forward to the reunion ever since she'd found out about the new assignment and now things were turning out terrible. But then what could she expect? He'd thought her dead for years. It hadn't occurred to her that he wouldn't know. She'd just assumed he did and had moved on.

"Mike, that's not what I meant," Melanie tried to explain, her mind not able to process quickly enough the realization starting to dawn upon her.

Okay, well, we have things to do so if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do to prep my team for your training." Mike turned to walk away, not wanting to continue the painful conversation.

"Mike wait." She grabbed his arm gently but in the MJOLNIR held him firmly so he couldn't move. "You're right, I should have. I…I just got scared. After Torpedo and everyone died…I…I just thought you'd moved on," she confessed, not looking into his grey eyes. "I couldn't lose anyone else."

"I hadn't moved on."

"I can see that now. I didn't realize you didn't know I was alive. It just didn't…," she began to lose composure, "…I'm so sorry." Her piercing eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry Mike."

Mike couldn't sustain his anger and he found his own eyes tearing up. He gave her a quick hug and stepped back to look at her, mind trying to process what she'd shared with him. "I'm sorry too. That wasn't fair of me. It makes sense. Not like the UNSC goes out of its way to tell us anything," he noted, his anger starting to redirect towards Colonel Ackerson who'd told him nothing about the woman's survival in the aftermath of Operation Torpedo. "It was just such a shock to see you." He looked at her again as if checking to see if he was hallucinating. "I just can't believe you're alive."

"No, you're right," Melanie responded, "I should have thought this through a bit more."

The tears were now freely rolling down the attractive woman's face as the reality of the past hit her. Mike cursed anew the Spartan program and what had been done to them. Not only had their childhood been stolen but even their ability to build normal relationships. Heart now going out to his friend who was obviously hurting Mike spontaneously went to her and held her in an embrace. Despite the fact he was in BDUs and she armor the connection for the two was obvious. She returned the embrace, gently holding on to him, even dropping her head to his chest.

They both awkwardly let go, a bit embarrassed by the scene and unsure what it meant.

"So, what happened to you?" Mike asked, trying to understand his feelings that had been scrambled so badly by the discovery, seeking to redirect to some space. "At Torpedo, I mean?"

"I was broken off from the main body after insertion to recon a secondary target and gather information," Melanie's eyes seemed to blank out as she regained her composure after the reunion, like she was back there. "The others were supposed to meet me at our rally point. They never made it. All I could do was listen to their voices on the open channel as they were slaughtered…," her voice trailed off.

"I didn't know," Mike responded, now feeling guilty for the way he'd acted towards her. He wanted to hold her again as the anguish of recollection became etched on her face but was frozen in the moment.

"I got extracted from my location before the end because the information I'd gotten was deemed by higher of tactical significance. I should have…."

"No!" Mike shot back, not sure what he meant but wanting to stop the train of memory she was on.

Melanie was shook out of the fog of remembrance. She paused and took an audible breath to steady herself. "Anyways, I got back to the ship and Ackerson thought I'd be useful as an infiltrator and that's what I've been doing ever since. I even got a nickname, 'Whisper'. Mind you it's not as cool as yours, Lone Wolf," she added playfully, happy now that things seemed to be going better between them.

"I thought you were dead," Mike restated, emphasizing every word, an angry tone entering anew.

"Yea, most everyone did," Melanie responded sadly, catching the tone but misunderstanding where it was directed. "It just kind of happened. I'm not sure if that was something Command wanted or I just let happen." She paused to think about it for a moment. "It's been a while now and I try not to think about that day anymore. I think I felt guilty that I lived when everyone else died, like maybe I should have. I got the name Whisper and it was like Melanie had died there on Pegasi Delta with everyone else because she should have." Her deep blue eyes began to well up anew with tears. "I'm sorry Mike. I should have let you know."

The growing anger at the shock melted away again but the roller coaster of emotions for the man continued. "No, that's not your fault. And what could we have done about it? We both had our assignments and were millions of kilometres apart. But I heard of the Whisper. You did good work."

Their eyes locked for a moment.

"Sir, the team's assembled and ready to meet the new trainer."

Gunny MacGregor entered the office without introduction, ignoring Melanie and breaking the moment for the two of them. It was obvious the ODST NCO was less thrilled with the addition to the training staff than Mike had been. For his part, Mike was now uncertain how he felt. Confusion and conflicting emotions churned inside causing an upset stomach. How he felt would have to wait. There was training to do and a war to prepare for.

"Very well gunny. Assemble the team and the support staff so I can make the introductions," Mike ordered.

"Sir," MacGregor responded crisply. The NCO wheeled about and left the room without a glance at Melanie.

The rest of the day the two former teammates from Beta Company went into Spartan mode, efficiently undertaking the tasks for the day. Melanie jumped right in and the members of the Wolf Pack seemed to respond well. Despite his resentment at having her brought in, he had to admit she knew a lot he didn't and her skills would make the team better.

MacGregor was another story.

Though polite and deferential he was obviously hostile towards the female Spartan and did little to go beyond what was required of him.

Still, despite the changes and shock of the day, it went well and so the team moved closer to their readiness for deployment.

That night Mike lay on his bed in his quarters unable to sleep and so reviewed the day. After their initial reunion he and Melanie had not talked about anything other than the training. They'd been constantly with others so had no opportunity and in truth it seemed neither knew how to proceed. So after dinner she'd gone to her room and he to his.

The troubled leader of the Wolf Pack couldn't help but think of what this all meant. His mind drifted back to the mission he and Kat had been on in the highland mountains on Reach in early August. His heart fell as he thought of his friend and training team member from Onyx killed by a sniper in New Alexandria. He could still see it. One moment they were talking, the next she was gone. But then he thought of another conversation they'd had when the two had been on a recon assignment. Ensconced in a mountain observation post the two had gotten onto the topic of Natalia. At this point she hadn't earned the respect of Noble Team and so the volatile Spartan had laid into Mike for the perceived favoritism he was showing her.

"Why are you cutting her so much slack?" Kat demanded angrily while Mike looked through a set of binoculars at an idle Covenant dig site. "You know as well as the rest she doesn't belong here. Probably got daddy to hook her up on some adventure."

"You don't know that. Besides, she can't pick her father and likely can't control what a guy like that will do," Mike answered doggedly. "Everyone deserves a chance to stand on their own merit."

"Oh yea? Did I deserve to be kidnapped as a kid? Did I pick this?" Kat's voice rose despite the modulation of the microphone in her helmet.

"Come on Kat, that's not what this is about," Mike countered, not wanting to go there.

"The hell it's not," she had trouble keeping her voice down. "It's about privilege man. The sooner you get that through your idealistic head the better you'll be. The chick's trouble and not worth the effort."

"Listen, I know she doesn't belong here and doesn't fit in. I get that." Mike's temper rose. "But she's here and we're in the middle of all this crap. What would you do? Throw her to the wolves."

"That's an interesting choice of expression Mike, coming from the Lone Wolf."

"None of this is of our choosing Kat," Mike tried to reason. "We can't control much of what happens to us but we can control what we do about it."

"Yea, what about Melanie? How much control did she have when she was sent off on Torpedo?" Kat pressed, mentioning a girl that had been part of their training group and Mike had developed a relationship with.

"Now why would you choose her?" the Lone Wolf shot back, hurt edging into his voice. "This has nothing to do with Natalia."

"Oh, now she's Natalia is she?" the woman mocked. "So you have forgotten Mel?"

Mike suddenly grabbed Kat's good hand and squeezed her so hard the tough Spartan winced. "I have NOT forgotten her. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her and what happened. Every day I wish I had been with her and the rest of the team and I was dead with them. Don't you dare use that line on me."

Mike released his iron grip and looked away signaling he didn't want to talk anymore.

Flexing her hand several times to get the circulation going after the crushing hold Kat realized she'd gone too far. "Hey, Mike, listen man…. I'm sorry. I was out of line. Mel was my friend too." She paused, angry at herself and angry at the circumstances around her. Snatching the binoculars out of Mike's hands she snarled, "Damn the Covenant, damn ONI and damn the politicians who put people like us in these positions."

That conversation had seemed like it was a lifetime ago, not back in August.

And now Melanie was not only alive but here and Natalia was out of the picture. The return of his former teammate and friend called the question of his feelings. For weeks he'd been skirting the issue but he seemed to have to come to grips with them. Recalling the conversation with Kat he had to confess that he still had feelings for Natalia, deep feelings. The inability to understand or do anything about them caused an even higher level of frustration. He also had to confess to a certain degree of jealously that she could be looked after so well while people like he and Melanie were treated as commodities to be used. Theirs were very different worlds. But still, beyond that, he still had feelings to Natalia.

Mike rolled over and punched his hand into the wall in frustration, causing it to sting.

Life has a way of not only throwing curve balls but becoming extremely complex. He'd just gotten used to the idea of being on a team; he was beginning to like it even, and now this. It made him long for the seemingly simple days of being the Lone Wolf.

 **October 7** **, 2552, 1315 Hours, Misriah Armory Corporate Offices, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

"What are you doing Mr. Wainwright?"

The cold, hard voice startled MacKenzie out of his concentration. Looking up he saw Spanner Misriah hovering over his desk like a hawk about to swoop in on its prey.

"Sir?" MacKenzie stammered, trying to regain his composure after being obviously startled. The billionaire military industrialist had a way of doing that. "I'm finishing the report on this morning's meeting with the Industrial Council," he tried to explain before being cut off.

"That's not what I'm referring to, you dolt," Spanner shot back derisively.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what you mean, sir."

Spanner Misriah sighed heavily and rubbed his face, treating the senior executive like a child who'd missed a math equation. "I mean what are you doing with my daughter?" he explained. "She is in a highly agitated state and has not returned to her old self since coming back from Reach. I say it again: what are you doing to ease that?"

"I'm trying," MacKenzie whined, "but she just won't respond. She won't go out with me and she barely returns any of my messages."

"So you've given up on her?" Spanner asked in a low, threatening voice.

"No! Of course not sir," the young executive shot back, perceptively catching the tone. "But what can I do if she won't have anything to do with me anymore?"

"If you executed your business for me like you have my daughter you'd be looking for a new job," Spanner declared, "and you still might be if you screw this up."

"I'm trying."

"Not hard enough. I opened the door for you to pursue Natalia because I thought you could be good for her, a stabilizing force in her life and you are letting that slip away. I'm disappointed MacKenzie and I don't suffer that lightly," Spanner warned. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," MacKenzie answered, catching the overt hint. "So what should I do? As you said, ever since she's come back from Reach she's not been her old self."

"That is true," the powerful businessman had to admit. "I confess to being concerned about her. She's been unstable and drifting since her return. She needs guidance and direction and I want you to provide it."

"I want to do that," MacKenzie declared, "I care deeply about her."

"Good, I know you do, son," Spanner Misriah deftly switched his tactics, keeping the young man off balance. The skilled negotiator moved from aggressive to supportive seamlessly. "You need to give her opportunities to rediscover herself. Be there for her, be available, show her what she's missing out on, show her what's important and you will win the day."

"I can," MacKenzie responded enthusiastically, his head bobbing in agreement, "I will."

"I know you will, I have every confidence in you. Keep me posted on your progress and if there's anything I can do to assist."

"I will, sir. Thank you for your confidence."

"Good. I will leave you to your work then." Spanner Misriah left his executive's office confident he'd lit a fire under the young man. _Now Natalia_ , he thought to himself, _it's time for you to put aside these silly ideas about Mars and Spartans and come back to reality._


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **October 8, 2552, 0645 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

 _Wham!_

The sound of the boxing heavy bag being torn from its mooring and slamming to the ground caused the ODSTs in the gym to spontaneously stop what they were doing to stare at Mike whose punch had broken it. They knew Spartans were strong but this was beyond their expectations. Yet they didn't know what was coursing through the veins of the troubled man.

Mike had barely slept the previous evening and when he did bizarre and troubling dreams he couldn't understand had filled his mind. He could think of nothing but Melanie returning from the dead. His mind had drifted back to their years together at Camp Currahee on Onyx. He'd never really understood, let alone reconciled, his feelings for his former teammate because she was dead. And now she was back. So, in an agitated state of mind when morning had dawned on Mars he'd gone to the gym to work off some of his growing frustration.

But with every punch his frustration grew until he couldn't stand it and with one massive blow to the bag he'd broken it. Panting heavily from the exertion he just looked at his target, unsure what to think or do as the others in the gym drifted back to their own workouts. Rather than relieved Mike felt even more agitated. This was going to be a tough day.

 **October 8** **, 2552, 0950 Hours, HIGHCOM facility Bravo-6, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia hadn't slept well the previous evening. The encounter with Jun the previous morning had not only messed up her whole day but had thrown her off through the night. She'd not taken calls from her father or MacKenzie and had even had three stiff drinks, her first since returning from Reach. The alcohol had helped to dull the pain she felt from her former teammate's obvious rejection. While she and Jun had rarely talked during their time together he'd never treated her with hostility like Kat and Emile had. And in the end they'd all worked together and she'd earned their respect and even praise for what she had contributed.

But then she'd been extracted and all but Jun and Mike had died defending the planet while she came home safely.

The troubled woman had come in late for work, feeling the effects of the previous night and in a darker mood than the slate gray skies that had threatened rain for Sydney that day. Logging into her data terminal she immediately searched for the personnel records of Jun, not caring anymore if anyone found out what she was doing. She saw that after his return from Reach he'd been reassigned to ONI Section 3 as some sort of training NCO. She couldn't find out what he was to be training, that was a higher level of classification and in truth she didn't really try. Jun was here and Mike was on Mars.

Another injustice.

But was it? What if Mike had been there instead of Jun? How would he have reacted? The thought sent a panic-filled rush of adrenaline that brought her instantly to 100% alertness. Would he have reacted the same way? The thought plunged her mood even blacker. The astute sniper's question about her being in touch with Mike also set her back on her heels. She knew where he was but hadn't reached out to him. Why?

Natalia knew why, it would only cause problems and complications for her insatiable desire to see him. But was it? Was she perhaps afraid, if she got honest with herself, that he'd react the same way as Jun did? Happy thought, the troubled woman mused.

The rest of the day went no better. For weeks she'd been happy that people had been leaving her alone around ONI headquarters. Once she'd been sought out but now it was the opposite. She'd wanted time to sort her thoughts and feelings out so the lack of attention had been appreciated but now it shifted in her mind. She'd been rejected by people, her Natalia Misriah. But then she considered what she'd offered before that made people want to be around her. Images of who she was and how she'd acted in the past came flooding in like a video highlight file and it sickened her. She'd tried not to be that person since Reach and now no one wanted her. Part of her longed for the simplicity of her previous life. What was the expression? Ignorance is bliss? Unfortunately the blind could now see and she couldn't return to that prior state.

Natalia left the Hive in a foul state. Instead of going to the gym to work out she went straight to her home. There were no greetings as she left beyond the polite cursory ones everyone shares with each other. Her opulently furnished home was in a desired neighbourhood and yet it was beginning to feel like a prison and not a sanctuary. Without an appetite she couldn't bring herself to make anything to eat nor would she even pick away at the prepared food she had. Instead she went to the liquor cabinet and assessed what she had. It was well-stocked since she used to entertain often but that was another thing that had changed since Reach.

Falling into a state of depression, thoughts of guilt, shame, rejection and several other emotions she couldn't put her finger on began to scream at her. To quiet them she began to drink. Natalia wasn't sure how much she'd had or what time it was but in the fog of her inebriation she thought she heard her door buzzer go off. She paused and listened again. Yes, it was clearly the door.

Suddenly, Natalia thought to herself that she wasn't alone in the world; someone had come to see her. Maybe it was Mike, come to sweep her off her feet and take her away from all this mess. It made sense after all the drinks and was even plausible to one who was drunk. She tripped over a hassock on her way to the video terminal by her door to let him in but more eagerly sought the chance to let him into her life fully. Fumbling with the button to engage the live feed her heart beat with anticipation.

It wasn't Mike, it was MacKenzie.

Mike wasn't there. Of course he wasn't, he didn't want her anymore, she thought in her drunken state, why would he? Only MacKenzie did. Something in the recesses of her mind tried to argue against this thought, tried desperately to show her the folly of what her mind was hammering her with. But the alcohol had provided a barrier to rational thought and all she was left with was her original conclusion.

So be it.

Entering into Natalia's condo the charming business executive seemed pleased to find her in the state she was in. He'd had a few drinks himself which had emboldened him to come over and try to spend some time with the woman who thus far had rejected his advances. But he hadn't gotten where he was by being passive so he continued to press in.

"Wanna drink?" Natalia slurred.

"I thought you'd never ask," MacKenzie responded smoothly.

 **October 8, 2552, 2200 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike had to admit that Melanie knew her stuff. She'd taken the team through several training exercises and not only did she have a depth of skills in the area of infiltration he didn't but she turned out to be a good teacher also. His emotions were still a roller coaster though so he swirled through a cycle of admiration for his former teammate's abilities and resentment of the fact she was able to give his team something he couldn't. He found himself possessive of the Wolfpack already and protective of any who would seek to be part of it from arm's length, even someone he'd once had feelings for.

Then there were the feelings.

Yes, they were bubbling up to the surface as well despite how hard he'd been trying to keep them in check. He wasn't sure what he was feeling right now other than confusion. He was still trying to manage his feelings for Natalia and now this?

Melanie had tried several times over the day during lulls in training to engage him in conversation but each time Mike had coldly rebuffed her. He wasn't sure why, these were new feelings for him and he couldn't figure them out which made him even angrier then he was beginning to admit he was.

But why was he angry? What was the purpose? The motivation? For years as the Lone Wolf his life and actions had been very ordered and directed but now that increasingly he'd allowed himself to feel things that order had been blown up. For the first time he'd almost wished Jun had left him back on Reach.

Almost.

Still, Mike Nantz wasn't about to give up. He was too stubborn so he'd figure this out. It just might take some time. Tomorrow was another day. He'd try again to be better, to sort it out. He had time to put this all together. But the creeping question for him was: how much time?

 **October 9** **, 2552, 1010 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia woke with a start. Her head throbbed as she checked the time.

Rolling over she saw the impression on the side of the bed where MacKenzie had been. The executive was already gone, a testimony to his diligence, or fear of Spanner Misriah. Natalia on the other hand was late for work at the Hive but she didn't care. It's not like she would be missed.

Then her actions of the previous night hit her just as the bile from the alcohol she'd been drinking began to well up due to her movement. She could see again what she and MacKenzie had done; she could even feel his arms around her.

"No!" she screamed in horror as the acids in her stomach began to erupt like a volcano.

Natalia ran to the bathroom to throw up. While she may be able to purge the excess of alcohol in her stomach she couldn't erase what had happened. Guilt, shame and even a touch of confusion reigned as she tried to reconcile what she'd done and why.

 **October 9, 2552, 1145 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"So the key for you to remember is that while your SPI armor does lack advantage in terms of ballistic capabilities, the photo-reactive cells can give you more than merely an active camouflage capacity. When used properly you have the ability to mimic a wide range of electromagnetic radiation," Melanie explained while debriefing the team after a training session as Mike watched.

"Which means that while we can make ourselves invisible to the eye we can also go black to certain sensor arrays," Maia added.

"Correct," Melanie replied, face breaking into a wide grin, happy to see the Spartan got her point. "I know your job is not going to be infiltration but you'll find there will be times the skills would be useful. Am I right sir?" She looked to Mike for affirmation.

This was a moment of truth. Melanie was seeking his endorsement of what she'd been teaching. Mike had to admit she knew her stuff, way more than he did on this topic and he'd picked up some tips already. The turmoil of her walking back into his life still swirled but he also had a responsibility to get his team ready for combat and she was helping. Time for him to put his personal feelings aside.

"You're absolutely right, Melanie," Mike confirmed.

 _He's still calling me Melanie_ , she thought, _not Mel_. _Why does this upset me? It's been years since we were together, but it does_. Though the attractive Spartan's face was an unreadable mask, inside her stomach was churning. As with Mike she'd locked out her feelings and emotions after Op. Torpedo and had gone into a form of autopilot. The persona of 'Whisper' had helped. She'd worked alone and not allowed anyone to get close to her.

In truth she hadn't wanted anyone to. The pain of loss was too great.

Melanie had tried to forget about Mike-B312, though he'd been Michael to her then. When she'd come into the training company at Camp Currahee scared and confused Mike had watched over her, protected her in many ways. At first he was like a big brother though they were the same age but then towards the end as their bodies matured her feelings had changed. She believed his had changed towards her as well. There had never really been the time or opportunity to explore these feelings though there had been one time when they'd been alone on a recon training mission. She'd locked that special moment away afterwards, fearing to let it out. So she'd followed Mike's exploits over the years but had resisted the urge to contact him.

Then she'd been sent to Mars to work with him and she couldn't hold it back. She'd been nervous about their reunion and his anger at seeing her hadn't helped. That had annoyed the proud woman herself but when she'd been honest with herself she had no right. He'd thought she was dead all these years. It had dawned on her the first night after she'd been reunited and sleep wouldn't come that she'd been selfish. A pain of lost opportunity overwhelmed her and the woman was glad she was alone so no one could see her reaction. But what now? They were still at war and this was a short term assignment. Could she allow herself to open that locked storage area of her feelings about Mike? Should she?

"In fact I used similar tactics on a mission two years ago though Melanie's are more sophisticated," Mike admitted. "We can definitely adapt them with her help to our team environment."

"All right people," Gunny MacGregor broke in, ignoring Mel, "break for chow and then we're in the field for a live fire exercise to see if you can remember to shoot after all this sneak and peak," he added with a sneer. "Pelicans will pick you up at 1230 hours so you better shake it. Dismissed!" his voice boomed.

Melanie was left standing alone as the team and Mike left for the mess hall. _MacGregor doesn't seem to like me too much_ , she thought. _I guess that's not surprising, all things considered. And I'm still Melanie to Mike,_ she added, forlorn and suddenly caring with her former friend thought of her.

 **October 9** **, 2552, 2125 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia couldn't be in her condo a minute longer. The thought of her and MacKenzie together there sickened her. He'd left several messages for her during the day and if she'd tried to play a game in her mind that nothing had happened his happy thoughts of the previous night obliterated that fantasy. In addition, the confident man's assumptions that all was well and they were now back together again angered the proud woman. She's needed to get out, she needed to forget. There was only one place for her to go.

Marquee Sydney had been the top club in the city for centuries, an unusual event for a fickle public looking to be entertained. Multi story screens, go-go dancers, exotic drinks and the latest music played by world-famous DJ's ensure this was the place to go. But what really set it off from other clubs in the city was the who's-who list of those who regularly came to party which included not only the beautiful people of Sydney but international stars in town who came to see and be seen plus partake in the invitation-only after-hours parties. The mega-club's biggest physical attraction was the VIP area roped off with red velvet robe and bouncers who ensured the people behind the ropes would be seen and not disturbed. It was a formula that had worked for decades and despite the war continued to this evening.

Natalia walked into the club that was only starting to get energized and breezed into the VIP area without a word. No one stopped her for all conversant in the nightlight of Sydney knew who Natalia Misriah was.

"Hey Tali! The tall bartender with bleached blonde hair and surfer's lithe body greeted her with a happy smile. "Haven't seen you for a long time. What's new?"

"Nothing," she mumbled in reply, remembering him from her past.

Though the bartender waited for her to expand on her answer it was the look he gave that caused Natalia to flinch. It was a knowing look, a hungry look. The same kind MacKenzie gave her. But then why shouldn't the man? She remembered the time they'd spent together after hours after a night of partying.

She wanted to forget that too.

"Bring me a drink," Natalia ordered.

"A Stinger?" The phrase condemned her. She needed to forget.

"No. Double Vodka on the rocks."

The bartender gave her a surprised look but followed her instructions bringing a glass of the clear liquid. If the music hadn't been so loud the sound of the ice cubes tinkling together would have been music to the convicted woman but it was lost to Natalia. She took the glass and in one smooth motion downed it in one toss. The liquor burned hard going down and she almost winced.

Almost.

It was time to forget.

"Keep them coming," Natalia ordered.

Time was lost and memories eventually dulled. Memories of Reach, of Mike, of her forced extraction, of her father's condemning looks, of her mother's abandoning her when 'things didn't work out', of last night.

"Stinger! It is you. I almost missed you. It's been too long."

The declaration of her nickname in Sydney was like an electric shock that jolted Natalia out of the pleasant stupor she'd fallen into. Standing before her at the head of a pack of twenty-something beautiful people was a handsome senior executive at one of her father's subsidiary companies. There were many of them because her father owned a lot but what distinguished this one was of the relationship he'd enjoyed with her before Reach which meant the inevitable question was about to come.

"Where's MacKenzie?"

She'd expected that since this young, ambitious man was a best friend, if they truly had those, of MacKenzie. He had been a frequent member of the group Natalia had run with prior to her leaving for Reach.

But a lot had changed since then.

Natalia shrugged, trying to figure out a way to get out of the conversation. "I don't know," she slurred, the alcohol fighting to take control.

"Because after last night I'd have thought the two of you would be glued together like you used to be."

It wasn't the accusatory tone of the man that did it or even the knowing laughter from the rest of the group. It also wasn't the fact that MacKenzie had obviously told this man what had happened between them the previous night already. No, it was the accusatory voice that was never far from her that pushed her over the top.

 _Spoiled little rich girl._

Natalia Misriah, in her inebriated state, decided it was time to fight back. She'd been on her heels for weeks and now it was time to push out of the corner.

In a surprisingly fast move for one showing signs of intoxication Natalia took a half step and caught the laughing executive with a hard right hook punch that broke his jaw. As the man fell to the floor screaming in pain something snapped in Natalia. Several of the women screamed as she pounced on the group, landing an uppercut on the jaw of another. The crowd scattered as Natalia opened the flood gates of all her rage and hurt. Club security tried to intervene but Natalia was not there anymore, she was on Reach, fighting for her life against the Covenant who were trying to kill her. A vicious knee to the groin brought one of the burly bouncers down and she spun out hitting another with a one-two combo. The dangerous boxing champion was a whirlwind and no one, not even the club security, wanted to get in her way.

Later, those who still wanted to defend Natalia Misriah would say she was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after Reach while her many detractors would say that fate had finally caught up to the arrogant, spoiled billionaire's daughter.

Regardless, in the end it took the Sydney Police and UNSC Marine Military Police to put an end to her destruction. Now Natalia would never be able to forget.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **October 10** **, 2552, 0805 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

"Disgraceful!" Spanner Misriah stormed as he and his daughter left the police precinct she'd spent the night in. "I can't believe you would do something that stupid! What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," Natalia responded grumpily, a combination of a hangover and lack of sleep souring her mood further.

"That's obvious," her father grunted angrily.

One of the things about being at a club that boasts it's the place to see and be seen everything that happens there is seen. So the next morning there were several reports with pictures of Natalia's altercation and subsequent arrest throughout the local press and social media. As it turned out, it was a slow news day for Sydney so the story about the billionaire industrialist daughter's action fed a public hungry for news of a gossipy nature.

"Well, thanks for bailing me out, dad," Natalia declared but without any appreciation in her voice, "but then you always seem to do that, don't you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Spanner shot back, a bit exasperated by her attitude.

"Reach."

Spanner shrugged his shoulders as if he wasn't sure what his daughter meant which irritated Natalia even more.

She tried to respond without anger but it was hard for her to control her emotions. Suddenly very weary she shook her head slowly at her father's inability to get what she was feeling right now. Natalia sighed heavily. "It's like, you arrange for me to be sent to Noble Team on Reach, you arrange my armour and the trip there. They didn't accept me no matter how many zeroes were in my bank account. I had to earn their respect."

"Which I understand you did," Spanner interjected.

"Yea, because of Mike," Natalia blurted out, tears starting to fill her eyes, no longer caring that her poorly kept secret would come out. "He trained me and looked after me. Because of him the others finally started to accept me."

"And that's why you had feelings for this Spartan," Spanner declared rather than asked.

Natalia could just scream. "He's a man, father, and yes, I have," she emphasized, "feelings for him but that's not the point here. What I mean is I was part of the team. Then things got tough and you pulled me out. Me only. We should have all got out or none of us, not just me. How do you think that made me feel?"

"I would have thought it made you feel special," Spanner responded, trying not to delve into the area of deeper emotion which made him feel uncomfortable.

"No it doesn't! It makes me feel like some commodity, not my own person." Natalia stopped and looked into her father's eyes to see if there was any recognition of what she was trying to get across. He tried to meet her look but couldn't so averted them to the device he carried that had started to signal incoming messages. He really didn't get it and that hurt Natalia more than the embarrassment of her arrest. "Listen, I have to get to work. Thank you for bailing me out, that was ungracious of me not to show any appreciation. I screwed up and I will own up to my mistake. I apologize for any embarrassment I caused you. It was unintentional." Saddened now more than angry she finished with, "I'll talk to you later."

But Spanner Misriah did get it, he just wasn't sure how to respond, the reality of what he'd done starting to sink it. He watched his daughter walk away, back to him, and felt his heart climb up into his throat. "I'm sorry too," he said quietly to himself.

 **October 10, 2552, 0800 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Mind if I join you?"

Melanie was not only jolted out of her thoughts but visibly jumped as Mike stood before her with a tray of breakfast. She chided herself for the display of emotion but that fell away quickly as she discerned Mike's pleased response to her reaction to his request.

"Yes, please. I'd like that."

Mike sat down and awkwardly began to pick away at his food. Melanie had learned to read people and situations well, it had kept her alive all these years and she could see that Mike was troubled. Guilt began to well up anew since she knew she was the source of it. The feeling was compounded as the reality of what was being asked of him added to the weight. Mike was being ordered to essentially recreate the legendary Noble Team on short notice and with Spartans just finished their training. It was an unfair expectation and she was doing nothing but adding to his pressure.

"You're doing good work here Melanie," he began, avoiding eye contact with her. Mike breathed heavily. "And I'm sorry for the way you're being treated. I'll talk to MacGregor about it, and I'll have a better attitude. I'm sorry."

 _Still Melanie_ , she thought, _but at least he's talking to me_. "That's okay Mike. You've gone through a lot of shock and are under a lot of pressure. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I've been thinking a lot about things since I first got here. You're right, I've been unfair to you over the years. I should have…I should have…," she stammered, suddenly at a loss for words. Then she saw his penetrating granite grey eyes were now looking right at her. There was no anger or condemnation in them and before she could think she heard herself blurt out, "I was afraid of my feelings for you."

"Looks like the CO is making a new friend," Matt commented derisively as he watched the pair from another table.

"They were friends at Currahee," Maia responded quietly.

"Oh yea? How good of friends?" Matt shot back with a leering look that caused Terrell to laugh nervously.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Matt," Alissa cut in aggressively, her china white skin turning red with anger. "They were teammates in Beta Company."

"How'd you find that out?" Adam interjected, wanting to deflect the tone of conversation.

"We heard Gunny MacGregor telling some of the other staff," Maia answered. "They were separated before Operation Torpedo and haven't seen each other since then."

"Well then isn't this a happy reunion for them," Matt interjected bitterly.

"What's that all about?" Alissa interjected testily.

"I don't know," Matt admitted, for the first time dropping the aggressive disposition he usually had. "Okay, so the CO has a story. Don't we all? Why does he get what he wants and I don't?"

Alissa missed the shift in tone so snorted derisively, dismissing her volatile teammate's genuine question but Adam didn't.

"What would you want?" Adam asked Matt quietly.

But the moment had passed with Alissa's response and the tough guy wall came back up. "Nothing," he grunted, then shifted his gaze back to Melanie and Mike. "Rank has its privilege, that's all."

Mike instinctively knew his team members at the other table were talking about them. Why wouldn't they? By now they'd all know the story since there were few secrets in a military unit and they would have seen him ignoring her thus far. Still, it didn't matter. There was a time where perception and image would have mattered to the Lone Wolf but now it didn't. Besides, he had a more pressing matter at hand, solving the puzzle of his feelings for Melanie. He looked at her and she shyly averted the gaze though the shift in her head caused the light to reflect off the jewel in her nose stud making her face radiate. He couldn't help but stare and realize anew just how attractive she was. The BDU's she wore accentuated her lithe physique as well. _You sure have grown up Mel,_ Mike thought to himself and that idea caused a new explosion of confused feelings and thoughts.

 **October 10** **, 2552, 0945 Hours, UNSC HIGHCOM Facilty Bravo-6, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

Natalia arrived at her desk late and in a foul mood. She'd gone to her condo and changed quickly, foregoing a shower despite how she felt then hurried to the Hive. She arrived to find a message in her inbox that Admiral Parangosky wanted to see her immediately upon her arrival.

She knew.

Of course she'd know, Natalia thought, irritation perking up anew. Everyone would know. It was all over the tabloids and a quick survey of social media sites showed a trending story that Spanner Misriah's daughter had a meltdown. The more sympathetic would chalk it up to post-combat stress while others would see it as the privileged doing what they pleased.

 _Spoiled little rich girl_

The voice in her head condemned her anew. At least this time there was some basis for it.

"Might as well get this over with," Natalia said to herself.

It didn't take the suffering woman long to move to the executive wing of the Office of Naval Intelligence. Passing the guard stationed outside the CINCONI's suite she caught the smirk the marine openly showed. Yes, everyone knew.

Presenting herself to the admiral's secretary the efficient woman had Natalia wait until the head of naval intelligence called for her. The wait was longer than expected leaving Natalia with the feeling she had been left in purgatory. Finally it was time to go and face the music.

Entering into the expensively appointed office Natalia saw Captain Osman standing behind the admiral with a smug look on her face. Margaret Parangosky, on the other hand, had a strange mixture of irritation and satisfaction etched on her hard face. Without any fanfare or greeting the head of ONI jumped right into her agenda.

"Ms. Misriah you have brought discredit on this department and at a time we do not need it," Parangosky declared without any preamble. "Your recklessness and lack of thought for anyone but yourself has compromised your effectiveness in your job."

 _What job?_ Natalia thought to herself _, I'm a joke here_. Agitated by the tone and still smarting from her father's lecture she countered, "Admiral, that's not fair."

"Silence!" Parangosky ordered sharply, causing Natalia to recoil in fear. "This is not a discussion. I am telling you, so you will refrain from speaking and listen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Natalia answered meekly, averting the penetrating look fixed on her.

Parangosky had a serene look come over her which made her seem even more dangerous. The powerful admiral visibly shook her head in disappointment that the feisty younger woman would back down so easily, adding to Natalia's feeling of defeat.

"Good. Therefore, since you can no longer stay in your current role in this city due to this bad publicity…"

 _Here it comes_ , Natalia braced herself.

"I am transferring you to our operations on planet Mars...

 _What?_ The clouds lifted and sunshine burst in.

"…where you will report to Commander Sullivan the station chief at our Section One office in New Harmony. You will be serving him while on Mars."

Natalia couldn't believe what she was hearing and could scarce believe her ears. "Excuse me, ma'am, you're sending me to Mars?" Natalia asked to confirm, holding her breath and waiting in anticipation for confirmation.

"Yes Natalia. I know it'll be a hardship to be away from your friends and family but it's for the best," Admiral Parangosky shifting to feigned empathy all the while delighting in the obvious excitement of the tormented woman before her.

"And how long will I be there?" Natalia asked, doing a poor job of masking her excitement and also missing the not too subtle smirk on the face of Captain Osman who impassively watched the proceedings.

"I would say pack for an extended stay," Parangosky answered evasively. "We want to allow things to settle down here so it'll be a bit open-ended. Do you have any objections?"

"No, ma'am, none at all," Natalia tried hard to contain the smile forming on her expressive face.

"Good. Commander Sullivan will have your complete orders upon arrival but I want you to do a thorough assessment of our military production capabilities and output on the planet. Their work there is vital to our war effort. There has been some," Parangosky paused more for dramatic effect then to collect her thoughts, drawing the young woman further in, "anomalies in reporting I believe and we need to know reality from fantasy. Therefore you will have full reign to travel the planet wherever there are military plants or facilities and whenever you want on an inspection tour. While you will serve under Commander Sullivan you will be working still for ONI headquarters. You will report your findings directly to Captain Osman. The commander is aware of this and will adjust his expectations accordingly. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Very well. Let us put this unfortunate incident behind us and move forward. You re dismissed."

Natalia came to attention and saluted. "Thank you ma'am."

The pair allowed the woman to leave and the door to close behind her before they spoke though each could swear they heard the sound of a woman spontaneously cheer.

"What now?" Osman asked, still not entirely sure of the scheme.

"We watch and wait. It still might not be too late to acquire the Lone Wolf."

"How, admiral?" Osman asked, genuinely curious.

"Natalia Misriah is an incendiary device," Parangosky explained to her protégée. _Still much to learn_ , _Serin_ , she thought. "We have placed it in proximity to Ackerson's little plan. If she goes off like I suspect she will, there might be an opportunity to profit."

Osman said nothing, getting the point, but smiled knowingly.

"Black Box?" Parangosky ordered.

"Here admiral," the box shaped avatar appeared. That was well done."

The scheming older woman ignored the compliment. "I want constant monitoring. I want to know everything she's doing while on planet."

"As you wish."

Parangosky sat back with a look of contentment on her face and took a sip of Jamaica Black coffee from the mug beside her, which always tasted better with victory. "Now we'll see how dear Natalia and her scheming father deal with all this."

 **October 10, 2552, 1545 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The four-man ODST team moved tactically into the opening in the forest. They were the hunters today, seeking to capture, or at least disrupt, the reconnaissance efforts of Team Wolfpack. The truth though was even when in a defensive posture they were the hunters. That was the nature of ODSTs and it didn't change because they were getting a pause in combat to train a bunch of teenagers.

The Spartans had a limited area to work within as they observed an abandoned farm and so the Helljumpers had broken into smaller teams and were using a process of elimination to find their quarry. This was the first time the ODSTs had gone head-to-head with the Spartan team since the new training officer had arrived but they were confident they could find the teenagers despite any training they'd received on camouflage.

The leader of the team had them pause while he checked his Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance for any signs of their quarry visually or with their tracking equipment. The VISR reported nothing on motion tracker or thermal so satisfied the way was clear he had them move into an open formation, covering all arcs while swiftly crossing the opening. A brief blip showed up at the edge of their tracker, indicating perhaps someone deeper in the forest so the Helljumpers quickly reformed for a tactical move to that location in the forest. But something wasn't right. The survivor of Reach had a keen combat sense and despite his mechanical systems showing all was well his internal alarms suddenly went off.

But he was too late.

"Hey boys."

The sarcastic female voice coming out of nowhere caused even the seasoned combat veterans to jump in surprise as the Spartan team seemed to materialize out of nothing all with guns to the heads of the Helljumpers.

"What the hell?" Lance Corporal Kendrick exclaimed angrily. The ODST squad leader saw the Spartan he recognized as the Lone Wolf come out of deeper in the forest. "Where'd you come from?"

The Spartan just chuckled in response, obviously pleased with how things had transpired as the ODSTs seethed in embarrassment.

Another Spartan came out from the forest a short time later who also ignored Kendrick's question and instead addressed the team in a female voice. "You see? As I've been teaching you, if you pick your backdrop properly, the photo-reactive cells will give you an active cammo feature similar to what the Covenant possess. Lance Corporal," she turned to Kendrick, "I assume you scanned the clearing before you crossed?"

"Of course we did," he growled testily, angry at being treated like some lab rat, "somehow you tricked us."

"You see?" the female Spartan turned to the others, ignoring the seething ODST. "The armour's cooling system also will dampen your thermal signature. You can become virtually invisible with this if used properly." She then faced the angry ODST NCO and stated bluntly, "And there was no trick, this is just simple science and better preparation."

Mike watched the reaction of the stung ODST and continued to be impressed. When Melanie had told him he'd need to be back from their overwatch line he hadn't been happy. She seemed to pick it up and had patiently explained again that his heat signature could be picked up while the rest of the teams couldn't. She'd correctly calculated the safe distance for him and had stayed back herself. Adam, then, had been put in charge of the tactical element of the overwatch and Mike had been relegated to reserve. Initially he'd been angry about this and had not talked to Melanie the whole time but now he could see the wisdom of the strategy. He'd never been one to hold back but he now realized he had to use all the tools in his possession to succeed in the future and he could now see how the SPI armour could be properly used. Though inferior to MJOLNIR it did have advantages which he'd need to use when they deployed. He had a new respect for what he'd initially thought a liability and he had Melanie to thank for showing it.

Kendrick's squad had been the only one that had gotten close and been captured. The other ODST teams had wandered around the training area lost to where the Spartans had been. It was obvious as they did a quick debrief while waiting for the Pelicans to take them back that Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor was less than happy with how things had turned out but he held his tongue since he knew this was ultimately about the Spartans being prepared to jump into the mix with both feet sooner than any of then likely would prefer. Despite the excitement of the Spartans and irritation of the ODSTs, all knew there was an inevitability to this equation. Play time would soon end and they'd all be back in the game.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

 **October 10** **, 2552, 1830 Hours, Sydney, Australia, Planet Earth**

"Mars?" Spanner Misriah exploded in surprise at his daughter's announcement as she stood before him in his luxuriously appointed office. "Why are you going there?"

"Apparently I embarrassed more than the family name by my actions lately," Natalia answered evenly, trying to sound remorseful and masking her delight. "I besmirched the good name of ONI, which I find ironic considering their history," she added with a hint of a smirk. "So I'm being sent to the corner, so to speak."

"And what will you be doing there?" her father asked warily, regaining control of his emotions.

"It's classified," she lied in response, "but I will be going on an inspection tour."

"Okay, but what about the trial for your little incident the other night?" her father asked, scrambling for a reason to keep her on Earth.

"As if you can't make that go away if you want," Natalia retorted. Seeing the pained expression on her father's face she added, "I can video conference in. I'll plead guilty anyways so I don't need to be there."

Spanner Misriah didn't know what to do, which was a rare occasion for him. Several times he opened his mouth to speak but couldn't think of what to say.

Natalia observed this sadly. Seeing the conversation was going nowhere and that her father would just continue to argue with her, she said with resignation, "Anyway, I just wanted you to know. I've got to go and pack since I ship out first thing in the morning. I'll give you a call before I leave." She gave her father a stiff hug and left his office.

"Niccolo," Spanner Misriah ordered, mind conflicted at the unexpected turn of events.

"Yes my Lord."

"Find out what Natalia is doing on Mars."

It took the smart AI several minutes to find the answer which must have felt like a lifetime to the AI for it did to Spanner Misriah.

"It was hard to obtain," Niccolo confessed but still with a flair for the dramatic, "but I was able to see her orders from a sloppy clerk on Mars. Tsk tsk. Poor protocols."

"What is it?" Spanner cut in impatiently.

"Very well," Niccolo answered, noting its master's anxiety. "She will be looking at UNSC military production and readiness."

"That means," his blood chilled.

"She will in all likelihood be inspecting your facilities there."

"And."

"And will inevitably find out what you've been up to."

If Spanner Misriah's blood had been chilled by her announcement it now positively froze. Not only would Natalia find out what he'd been up to but so would Admiral Parangosky. True, they were his factories and his businesses but with extensive contracts with the UNSC what he was doing was not entirely legal.

A short time later Natalia held an awkward conversation with MacKenzie at her condo.

"You can't go!" the executive whined as Natalia gave him the news of her imminent departure.

Natalia had thought to just slip away and not tell him but guilt over the insensitive move ate away at her. So she had relented and asked him to come over early in the evening so that she could tell him she was leaving but more importantly clear the air on what was going on. She was going to Mars, she was going to find Mike and everything was going to somehow work out between them. Her actions the last week would be put behind her and all would be well. Or at least that was her plan.

"I can and I will," Natalia responded resolutely. "Besides, I have orders, not much I can do about that," she fudged, trying to soften the blow.

"Come on Tali," MacKenzie countered. "I'm sure there's a way to get out of this."

 _I don't want to!_ her mind screamed but suddenly she had lost her confidence and couldn't speak the truth. "No, what's done is done," she instead responded.

"I don't believe it. I'll talk to you dad," her suitor answered, moving in close and taking her hands in his, "after all that's happened between us I'm not going to let this happen."

"No!" She pulled away as she practically shouted her response. He just wasn't getting it. "Listen MacKenzie. The other night was a mistake, a huge mistake. I was drunk and shouldn't have led you on," she again tried to soften the blow, feeling bad for the handsome executive.

"No, I don't believe you. You're just scared of your feelings. We can get through this."

Once again Natalia was reminded anew of the confident man's narcissistic way of looking at things. He really didn't get it. "No, you don't understand. It…was…a…mistake," she articulated every word. "It shouldn't have happened. But that's only part of all this, the truth is I want to go." She could see he really didn't believe her response so decided to come clean. "There is no 'us' MacKenzie. I have feelings for someone else. I tried to forget him with you but I can't. The truth is I don't want to."

The loving expression on the young man's face turned to a hard, cold mask. "That Spartan, I presume."

"Yes, it is," she began, eager to share her feelings but he cut her off.

"Well, good luck with that. And when you come back and you're all messed up again, don't come looking for me," MacKenzie declared bitterly, "because I won't have you back."

The handsome executive wheeled about and walked purposefully out of her condo. Natalia felt bad for the man for in many ways he was a creature of her own creation. But she had changed, she knew she had. Natalia did feel bad for MacKenzie but knew he'd get over her. The feeling didn't last as her heart soared. She was free and could now reunite with Mike.

 **October 11, 2552, 0715 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike sat down with his tray of breakfast across from Melanie, this time not asking for permission first. He was still jubilant after their successful operation the day before so was in a good mood. What Melanie had been teaching the team had already paid off and he was beginning to feel like this would all work, even in the time frame allotted. He'd spoken to Colonel Ackerson the previous evening and although the head of the project was uncommittal about a deployment date it did seem like the mid part of November was being strongly alluded to. Mike's confidence grew that with another month of solid training they would be ready to at least dip their toes in the water. They were no Noble Team but given time…

Well, he had to admit the idea didn't seem so outrageous anymore and he had much to thank for the woman sitting across from him. The idea made him strangely uncomfortable. He'd not wanted any 'outsider' coming in to teach them and then when Melanie had shown up it set off a complex chain reaction of emotions he still couldn't sort out.

Mike realized that Melanie was staring at him though trying not to and he also realized he'd sat down and still had said nothing. The Spartan tried to regroup. "That was a good exercise you ran yesterday. We all learned a lot, even the ODST's," he chuckled, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Those guys never do like looking bad, do they?" she responded playfully.

"No, you work with them before?"

"A few times," Melanie admitted.

For some reason the idea of her with a group of ODSTs made Mike feel uncomfortable. Was it jealously? He wasn't sure. All these feelings were complicated for him. The Lone Wolf cursed under his breath and almost wished he'd gone to eat with Gunny MacGregor.

Almost.

Melanie looked at Mike and tried hard not to stare into his eyes. She knew there was something on his mind he wanted to share. It didn't take a scout to figure that out but she suddenly felt as awkward around him as he was of her.

It had been a long time since they'd been together, they'd only been kids. The nature of their relationship had never really been articulated. There'd not been the time nor was it allowed but on their team it was an open secret that they were an 'item' or as much as inexperienced pre-teens could become. But she was now 21 which made him 22. They weren't kids anymore.

The recon Spartan had become a keen observer in her time as 'Whisper' and now she had to confess upon observation Mike had become quite handsome. The thought made her uneasy especially as she discerned the way he was looking back at her. She'd not thought much about Michael since their separation and not at all the past few years. She'd heard of his exploits and been proud of him but not much else figuring he'd moved on. She never did explore her feelings, that was never one of her strong points.

Melanie had locked down any emotions she'd had when she joined the Spartans. A beloved only child, her father had been killed when the colony world in the Leonis Minoris system had been glassed. Fleeing with her mother as refugees the gifted child had struggled to integrate but then her mother had been killed in a freak auto accident leaving her alone. A kind teacher had taken her in but the emptiness was overwhelming. When James Ackerson came along and gave her not only an opportunity for revenge but promise of purpose she jumped at it, not really considering what she was signing up for. Mike, or Michael as she'd always called him, was a year older and had looked after her. She'd always thought the taller boy's interests lay in their teammate Kat but then she didn't have a lot of experience. Still, their feelings seemed to grow even if they'd never been allowed to develop. The opportunity to explore them came when they'd been sent off a two-man recon but before anything could be solidified Mike had been pulled for other assignment. But then what did she expect? They were Spartans. So, again, confused and hurt, she'd pushed her feelings down.

And now they were together again and the barrier of years seemed to be melting away. Now Mike sat before her and she was being forced to uncrate her feelings. It wasn't anything he was doing, it was her. She didn't want to go there but at the same time part of her desperately did.

So the pair awkwardly talked around the issue at hand trying to keep the conversation on the training and the team. Inevitably though the pair drifted back towards their past and by doing so each began to slip deeper into an area of their lives each desperately didn't want to but increasingly hoped they'd be forced to re-enter. Interpersonal relationships made fighting the Covenant seem like a walk in the park.

 **October 11, 2552, 1130 Hours, UNSC Dusk, on final approach, New Harmony Spaceport, planet Mars**

If Natalia had thought MacKenzie was done with her she was sadly mistaken. He'd already sent her two messages trying to talk and apologizing for his actions the night before. Maybe his feelings were deeper for her than she'd thought or else he'd had a conversation with her father. Either way she was free as she watched the spaceport of New Harmony on Mars come into view. The austere concrete terminal with entry and exit bays sprung out before them like fingers on a hand. Her ship moved past it towards the military terminal. Natalia looked out of the window and saw three heavy transports begin to pull out of the planet's atmosphere in a direction towards Earth. Likely laden with military hardware it was a reminder to her that while she may be on a personal quest things in the universe still continued to advance. Though none would say it all seemed to be bracing for the next major attack by the Covenant and most thought it would come in the Sol System. Reach had changed many things. The veneer of invulnerability was broken and now humanity was preparing the best they could.

The ONI Prowler settled down light as a feather. Natalia gave a nod to Lt. Commander Waters, the captain as she departed. They'd exchanged nothing but small talk before leaving Earth. That was the ONI way. Fill the void but disclose nothing.

In truth she wasn't interested in talking, focused intently instead on her mission to find Mike. She blocked out the crisp female voice announcing arrivals and departures and the general hustle and bustle going on in the spaceport. It was time to take the initiative. After weeks of frustrating inactivity she could finally begin to move forward and figure her feelings out.

"Lieutenant Commander Misriah."

A ginger haired ONI security officer hailed her over. After a salute and exchanged greetings he motioned towards the hanger exit, leading the way. Bags in hand Natalia followed the soldier as they left the busy terminal and headed by Warthog into the city and to the headquarters. The compact city of just over a million inhabitants was the largest on the planet and had a thriving industrial base but politics also was the order of business and hence the reason ONI had its main headquarters for the planet in the city. Sleek skyscrapers dotted the horizon and while the architecture was somewhat utilitarian with lots of concrete and glass befitting the fact heavy industry drove commerce there still were signs of a thriving culture. All was lost on Natalia as she was eager to move on. Her driver said nothing, he hadn't even introduced himself, and that was fine with her. So she absently watched the landscape go by until they pulled up to a thirty-plus story building. Entering into an underground garage the pair parked and took the elevator to the top of the building.

An administrative assistant waved Natalia into the commander's office so she could meet the man she would be nominally serving under. Commander Michael Sullivan stood just over 6 feet tall but was slender meaning Natalia seemed bigger than him. Though he had a hard look on his face his deep brown eyes betrayed a deeper sense of feeling and also hurt. Natalia had looked him up on the flight to Mars and had found out he'd been a cadet at the prestigious Corbulo Academy of Military Science. He'd been one of the few survivors of the Covenant attack on the school and planet nearly 25 years earlier. He'd joined ONI and worked his way through the ranks ever since. This was a man who knew what it meant to suffer. Maybe he would understand what she was going through.

"Lt. Commander Misriah, I have to say straight up that I don't like you being dumped in this station because you can't keep a grip on yourself. You may be reporting to the Admiral but while you're here you still work me. Is that clear?"

Apparently he wasn't going to understand.

"Yes sir, very clear," Natalia knew how the game worked and could play it well. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll get the job done."

"Good, because if you try to pull here what you did in Sydney I'll leave your ass in jail and trust me, you don't want to spend time in the Mars penitentiary system."

News seems to travel fast, Natalia thought. "Not to worry, sir. I made a mistake; I don't intend to make it again."

"Good. I've arranged workspace for you. Here are your orders," Sullivan handed her a packet then he mellowed a bit, seeming to appreciate her response. "Mars isn't that bad a place to serve, stay out of trouble and you'll get along fine here."

"Thank you, sir." Natalia appreciated his gesture.

"You'll have a driver if you need or access to our motor pool or Falcon support from the Air Wing in the city. If you need anything else, let me or my assistant know. Good luck."

With that, Natalia began her new assignment on Mars and more importantly the more important job of reconnecting with Mike.

 **October 11, 2552, 2040 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mel sat at the desk in her quarters in deep thought. She did this often at night time. Others would go out or hang out, but she tended to stick to herself. The Spartan would go to bed early, that was her way and also her way of trying to turn off her brain which more often than not ended up in restless nights.

This night though Melanie had been thinking about her and Mike's conversation which in fact she had been doing all day. The trainer had been fortunate it had been a light day of training at their base and no field work since she'd been distracted, something the focused, driven woman was not used to. But where had that focus come from? If Melanie was honest with herself and thought back she'd remember a carefree child and even playful Spartan in the early years.

What had happened?

Her parent's death and then her teammate's death in Op. Torpedo had happened. All the result of the Covenant. She'd developed an intense hatred of the attackers of humanity as a result and she'd lost much of any feeling other than rage in the ensuing years in an attempt to hurt them back. Yet the intelligent woman had to admit what she'd done was a drop in the bucket in humanity's war for survival. Her efforts had been like trying to stop a flood with a sponge.

Melanie realized she'd paid much and gotten little in the way of lasting satisfaction in return. Was there any more? Did she even want it if it was there and available to her? She wasn't sure but the increasingly troubled woman began to think she wanted to try at least. The problem for Melanie, though, was every time of late that she'd begun to entertain the concept in the abstract it quickly morphed like a slipspace jump into thinking in the concrete about Mike. He'd been surprised at first to see her which was understandable. His feelings had seemed to quickly turn to anger, then irritation and now indifference. Yet their conversation this morning had seemed to show his attitude might be changing and she had to confess that for some reason she desperately wanted it to. How could she explore this though? They were always working together and in a crowd, they never had time to be alone and explore their feelings. It was like an irritating itch that couldn't be scratched.

There was a light knock on her open door.

"Excuse me Melanie, mind if I come in?" Mike asked, sticking his head in the door with a boyishly enthusiastic look on his face. "That is unless you're too busy or have other plans."

"No!" Melanie leapt from her chair eagerly, immediately chiding herself for the display of excitement she'd shown. Mike seemed to pull back a bit, misreading the passion of her reply so she clarified, "No, that would be great and I have no plans."

Mike's smile in response warmed the contemplative woman's heart and she couldn't help but notice how well he filled the BDU's out he was wearing. She watched him enter her room and could tell he was nervous, or awkward, like a schoolboy. The perceptive woman didn't want to read too much into his body language, starting to hope but trying to guard her feelings so she decided to just wait and see what he had to say.

Mike did feel like an awkward schoolboy and he chided himself for the tenth time. He wasn't even sure why he was there yet he knew he wanted to be. Reports finished he had nothing else to do. He'd thought about Melanie as he'd done all day since their brief conversation. The Lone Wolf didn't like feeling like he was back on his heels so it was time to take the initiative. Entering the room he noticed again how well the female Spartan filled out her BDU's. Despite the cut her feminine curves were obvious. She watched him with a mixed look of curiosity and hope. He'd come into her domain so knew he had to initiate the conversation yet now that he was here he wasn't sure what to say.

"Uhm, I was in the area so thought I'd drop in and see how you're doing," Mike stammered awkwardly. _Damn! Speak you idiot_ , he berated himself.

"Thank you, Michael," Melanie replied guardedly, unsure of his intentions from the opening.

"Anything we need to add to the training that'll help us get more out of what you're teaching?" Mike asked, trying to figure out a way to bridge into what he actually wanted to say.

"Your team is doing very well, Michael," Melanie declared positively but with an obvious look of disappointment on her face that Mike seemed only interested in talking business. "They've adapted to the training concepts and have smoothly integrated them into what they do."

 _Come on man, you got to break out of this box_ , Mike berated himself but was only able to reply, "Well, that's your doing."

"Only in part. You've endorsed what I'm teaching and have been an active participant. Without your buy-in it wouldn't work. Thank you," Melanie declared, averting her piercing blue eyes from his steady gaze.

"No, I should be thanking you." Mike could see the conversation was going badly and was in danger of ending before it began since the next day would be a busy one. The troubled man considered for a moment what was on his mind. _Screw it,_ he said to himself, _time to just talk._ The Spartan decided to just open up and see what happened. No more measured responses. "I want to apologize to you Melanie. I didn't like the idea of Colonel Ackerson bringing someone in to teach this stuff. I wanted to do it all on my own. That was wrong. You've taught all of us, me included, a lot."

"That's to be expected…"

"Wait, there's more," Mike cut her off. He took a deep breath. "When I found out you were alive it was a shock. Then I was mad that you never did anything to let me know you were alive. I've been thinking about you the last couple of months, especially when I reconnected with Kat on Reach. Then to find out you still lived…it was just shocking."

"Michael, I'm so sorry," Melanie apologized sincerely.

"It's not that. You've already apologized," Mike explained, and then standing on the edge of the precipice decided it was time to jump. "It's just that I'm wondering, what now?"

Melanie felt her heart beating so hard she was sure Mike could hear it pounding against her chest. Her breath shortened as he articulated what she'd been feeling the last couple of days but wouldn't dare entertain. She'd thought him furious at her and that he hated her but now he seemed to be admitting there were still feelings. She wanted to say something, to even reach out and touch his hand but the moment was so powerful she found herself frozen.

Mike could see she was moved by the question and with the floodgates broken decided to press on. "I don't know…it's been years since Currahee but that was a time where I was happy despite all the crap that had gone on that brought me there and you were a big part of that."

"You were a big part of it too," Melanie admitted, her mouth suddenly desert dry. "I'd forgotten over the years just how much. Maybe I'd wanted to, I'm not sure…," her voice trailed off as her eyes became glassy.

"Don't feel bad," Mike said, seeing her response so putting a hand spontaneously on her forearm. "I did too. Maybe it was seeing Kat again that brought the memories back. I'm not sure."

"You were there when she died, weren't you?" Melanie asked quietly, stirred by the feeling of his hand on her arm.

"One minute she was there, full of life, the next minute she was gone." The happiness of the moment evaporated in the misery of the memory. "Things can change in a blink of the eye."

Melanie instantly chided herself for bringing up the obviously painful subject and took his free hand with hers. "I'm so sorry for bringing that up, I shouldn't have."

"No, it's okay, it needs to be talked about but it does hurt," Mike confessed. "It was just hard to find her after all these years and lose her like that. But it kind of showed me that if you're going to feel for something or someone it can be taken from you." Mike paused to collect his thoughts and still the beating of his heart. He looked at Melanie and he could see not only she got it but she was feeling something too, it was etched on her face so he decided to go further. "Yea, it can but that's also why you need to grab the moment and hold onto it. I think that's why I'm here right now."

Melanie could see the torment and depth of feelings he was experiencing. For years she'd had no feelings and his statement about the emotion had been not only foreign but even a bit agitating. They'd not only been trained as Spartans to not feel but she'd even built higher walls and yet Mike felt deeply, she could see it. Part of her was uncomfortable with the emotion but another, stronger part, was jealous for the same experience.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

 **October 11, 2552, 2045 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike seemed a bit uncomfortable with his last statement and Melanie was silent, though she still held his hand. He'd taken a risk by what he'd disclosed and yet felt liberated by it too. So he stood his ground and let his words sink in to the thoughtful woman who seemed to be processing what he'd just shared.

Melanie-B252, the Whisper, had not been a gambler, instead always playing it smart. Mike's declaration had been unnerving to her yet in another way was intriguing. Never a risk taker, at this moment she spontaneously decided to jump off the cliff and see where she landed. "I've…I've never experienced anything like that," she admitted awkwardly. "Or at least it's been so long I can't remember. But I think I'd like to. Would you help me?" she asked, eyes lighting up with a combination of fear and anticipation.

Mike looked into her radiating face and felt a calm happiness. "Hey Mel, remember that time we were at Twin Forks River?" he asked, his face lighting up.

 _He called me Mel_ , she thought and her heart soared. The look on his face showed there were no longer any barriers between the two of them. Then she realized she hadn't answered his question and he was giving her a confused look so quickly answered, "How could I forget?" she snorted, turning beat red. "I wanted to go swimming."

Mike saw the tension in her attractive face relax and it made her seem even more striking. "Yes, you'd wanted to go swimming and had talked about it all morning. Then Kat encouraged you too."

"And then she told you to act as overwatch and went to that grassy part on the slope, leaving us alone."

"That was Kat. I guess she was playing matchmaker," Mike responded, averting her piercing eyes at the declaration and conscious that they were still holding hands.

"She did do that, didn't she?" Melanie asked, as the forgotten reality seemed to hit her. Not wanting to dive too deep into that pool yet she quickly continued with the story, "And those guys from Team Lima took my clothes while I was in the river then set up an OP to watch me because you were too shy to watch yourself."

"Yea," Mike replied, as she rightly guessed his response.

"And I also remember how you gave me your BDU top and then dropped a flashbang on their position." It suddenly dawned upon her just what had been going on so many years ago with this man, it was like a vault had been opened and she could see the treasure inside which caused her to squeeze his hand tighter.

"No, I wasn't thinking about that part," Mike could see the intensity of emotion forming which scared him a bit so diverted, "though now you mention it I remember the beating I got from them later on."

"There were four of them and you gave them more than they gave you," Melanie declared proudly, allowing herself to fall into the moment.

"Maybe," Mike admitted, a bit embarrassed. "No, it was before that. You were swimming and the rest of us were lying in the grass beside the river just looking at the clouds in the sky."

"I do remember," Melanie declared, eyes getting glassy.

"You said you felt so…"

"Normal," Melanie finished the sentence.

"Yea, normal. I remember that," Mike affirmed, feeling very comfortable in the moment.

"Me too. I'm sorry I almost forgot. And I'm sorry I almost forgot you." Spontaneously Melanie got up and kissed him lightly on the cheek then sat down pressing in beside him.

Late into the night, far later then they should have, the pair then began to reminisce about their past together while each wondered silently about a potential future.

 **October 12, 2552, 0930 Hours, New Harmony, planet Mars**

"But I wanted to start in Losantiville, "Natalia protested to Commander Sullivan who had turned down her request.

"Why start there?" he queried, "there are lots of plants here in New Harmony."

"It's a bit more industrialized," Natalia responded, hoping she was right since she hadn't checked the numbers.

Sullivan shrugged and seemed to buy it. "Well it doesn't matter. All the transport for today is tasked. Check with me tomorrow and we'll see what we've got." He looked down at his datapad to show the conversation was over but politely added, "Have a nice day."

 _So close and yet so far_ , Natalia fumed to herself. She'd try again the following day. She had to do something today so decided to visit one of her father's small arms factories in the city.

Going to the transport section she was assigned the same ginger-haired soldier who'd picked her up at the spaceport. The young man named English was chatty by ONI standards which meant he politely asked her how her day was so far and commented on the weather. Beyond that the two sat in silence during the 20 minute ride to the squat factory with the glowing 'Misriah' sign on the side. That was the way of ONI operators.

Arriving at the austere plant Natalia's heart raced a bit, wondering if the young corporal had made the connection between her and the factory yet. If he did he didn't let on, asking instead, "You have any idea how long you'll be here, ma'am?"

"I'm not sure," Natalia confessed since she'd not given what she'd actually do on her 'inspection tour' any thought.

"No problem, ma'am," the soldier replied with a shrug. This was ONI and he was used to getting evasive answers. "Give me a call on my comlink when you're ready and I'll come back and get you."

The Warthog merged into the traffic of the busy industrial area of the large metropolitan city and Natalia was left to figure out what to do. She figured she'd make it up as she went along so pushed on down the entrance to her father's small arm's facility.

Arriving at the gate to the factory for some reason Natalia thought there would be more activity going on then had to admit she really didn't know what to expect, or what to look for, she considered. It had been years since she'd visited Mars as the planet had held little interest to her in recent memory but she could still recall a time as a little girl that her father would take her on trips to places such as this and it had been a thrill for her to be there with him and take in all the new sights. A pang of guilt overcame her as she thought about those happy days. Those were also the days before her mother Tatiana had left her father, _and me_ , Natalia thought to herself. She'd not seen her father react but knew it had hurt him deeply yet he continued to look after her unlike her mother who'd moved on and rarely communicated with her. Guilt and a longing for those simpler days piled up.

She'd tried since Reach to establish some sort of relationship. Seeing all the death and destruction had changed her and she'd become determined to not only be more appreciative but have more genuine relationships. _You've got a funny way of showing it,_ the young woman's mind condemned her. _Yet another thing for me to work on._

With a heavy sigh Natalia entered into the permacrete bunker that acted as the guardhouse for the factory. There was one armed man in a uniform behind a glass window looking intently at a data terminal who ignored her as she entered in.

"Ahem."

The guard finally looked up but seemed unimpressed. "What can I do for you, ma'am?"

"I'm here to do a snap inspection of this facility on behalf of the Office of Naval Intelligence," Natalia announced.

"Sorry," the doughy guard replied unapologetically, "no visitors allowed in. Plant policy."

"You don't understand, I…,"

"No, you don't understand miss," the guard cut her off surreptitiously, "I told you there was no entry so why don't you run along."

The melancholy spirit left in a flash of anger.

"No, you seem to be the one who doesn't understand," she shot back. "I have the authorization of Admiral Margaret Parangosky to inspect any military production facility on the planet that supplies to the UNSC." She held up her orders to the window which seemed to get a response from the guard. "Plus if you catch the name on the orders and on my ID you'll its Misriah, as in the one whose name is on the side of this building and your uniform."

By now the guard was on his feet and sweating profusely. "I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't realize, I'll…," he stammered but was cut off.

"You'll have the plant manager here in five minutes to escort me in and I'll forget your rudeness."

As the guard scurried off to make it happen Natalia felt good for a change. It was nice to be in charge for once since of late she'd felt out of control.

A short time later a trim man with a receding hairline wearing an expensive suit came walking up. "Mark Bryson, Ms. Misriah," he offered his hand in introduction. "It's nice to have you here though it would have been nice if you'd called ahead."

There was something about the plant manager that didn't sit right with Natalia. He seemed nervous and avoided eye contact. Her combat instinct honed on Reach kicked in and she knew something was amiss with the executive. She couldn't figure out what so chalked it up to the daughter of the owner being there.

As they moved through the plant though something was definitely not right. Most of the machines were idle and few assault rifles seemed to be coming off the line. Production seemed to be at a trickle and there were large empty spaces in the efficiently laid out plant. Bryson seemed to be trying to hustle her to his office but the headstrong young woman would not allow herself to be steered. The pair talked little but Natalia was mentally developing a list of questions.

Finally arriving in Bryson's comfortably furnished office Natalia was barely in her seat when she began. "So what's going on here?"

"What do you mean?" the plant manager replied evasively.

"I mean where are the workers? Where's the equipment and why are there so few rifles being produced?"

"Oh that!" Bryson responded with feigned understanding. "We're on a shut down right now to retool and upgrade our line. Just standard stuff."

"Even after the fall of Reach?"

"It was scheduled well before we knew that happened," Bryson answered smoothly.

Natalia pondered the answer for a moment. It seemed plausible but there was something about the way the plant manager avoided her gaze that made her think there was more to the story. Should she dig further? "Fine, thank you for your co-operation. Have a nice day." She didn't.

In the end it really didn't matter. She was on Mars with a different agenda. So with things concluded Natalia left the plant manager's office, eager for the next step.

But the attitude was different for the business executive. Immediately after Natalia left, Mark Bryson set up a secure connection to Earth. He needed to talk to Spanner Misriah.

 **October 13, 2552, 0745 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

It was the first time they would be going head-to-head in an exercise. Adam nervously checked his gear and rechecked it. The ODST's were still smarting from their inability to capture the Spartans and even having one of their team captured. Sure, the Helljumpers would have a 3-to-1 advantage in numbers but this was the closest they'd been to even so far.

The objective was a simple game of capture the flag. Each side would insert equidistant to the location and then the game would be to get the flag and bring it back to their 'home'.

Sure, straight forward but not easy.

At the scenario briefing the evening before the ODST's, Lance Corporal Kendrick in particular who would lead one of the squads, seemed to have a score to settle. Each side would be armed with the older MA5B assault rifles fitted for stun rounds and no armor, an advantage for the Spartans who'd done most of these exercises without.

As the Wolfpack geared up for the trip to the playing field Adam noticed something changed about the CO and their new trainer, Melanie. They seemed to be looking at each other differently. Even though Whisper would not be going into the field with them she was still hovering around Mike as they got ready. Rather than be a distraction for the sometime temperamental Lone Wolf it seemed to calm him. Operationally this was a good thing for them the thoughtful teen considered and that made him happy. But strangely his happiness extended beyond the team's operational efficiency. He was happy for Mike personally. Though they'd only know each other a few weeks his affection for the famous Spartan had grown and despite the need for a professional relationship the teen had started to come to look to the experienced veteran as a sort of big brother figure. Regardless of the reason, the Lone Wolf was calm, and almost happy it seemed, so that had to have a good effect on what they were about to experience.

Mike seemed to sense Adam was looking at him so he stood up and looked over the group. "Okay Wolfpack. The playing fields been levelled. Let's go out there and shown them what we can do."

Ten hours later the two teams were back at their operations center in Losantiville and it was easy to see by the looks on the collected faces who'd been victorious. The Spartans of Team Wolfpack had consistently outmaneuvered and outhustled the numerically superior ODST's. The teens under Mike's leadership had pushed hard right off the Pelican and had caught the Helljumpers still setting up their positions. From there nothing changed throughout the day. Using a combination of stealth tactics, aggression and outside-the-box thinking the Spartans had consistently kept the more experienced Marines on their heels. This led to considerable frustration from the ODST's who then began to make foolish errors against the group they'd consistently been able to defeat not that long before. When the end of the exercise was called the Spartans had shut out the ODST's.

Tempers flared between the two groups while waiting for extraction. Matt and Lance Corporal Kendrick had gotten into a verbal exchange that gave way to aggressive shoving. Fists were about to fly when Mike stepped in to restrain Matt and Kendrick's sergeant pulled him away. No one said anything though since all knew the aggression had been high. Still, the mood on the Spartan's Pelican was jubilant since it was evident things were really starting to come together for the team.

Back in Losantiville the ODST's continued to seethe with anger at having been defeated in the open scenario, feeling somehow they'd been cheated but to even an uneducated observer it was obvious the numerically inferior Spartan team had outmaneuvered them. Regardless, the victory had been given to Team Wolfpack and for the teenagers it was something to be savored.

Commander Mike could barely contain his excitement at how the exercise unfolded though he did his best to maintain an air of neutrality. Gunny MacGregor, in contrast, was a jumble of emotions. He displayed an almost fatherly affection for his young charges but his pride at being an ODST had also been stung by his own unit mates being beaten. So he seemed to cycle between anger and joy on a very short loop.

Mike took in the scene. He was incredibly proud of his team. They'd exceeded his expectations and were making significant progress at the expense of the ODST's. But something disturbed his happy mood. As he looked at the Helljumpers, behind their anger he could see something else and it was that which caused him to pause in his own elation. They were all combat veterans, most of them had fought on Reach and now they were being used as a catalyst to pump up his team. Suddenly the victory tasted like sawdust in his mouth. The Spartan's joy was coming at the expense of others who deserved more, especially after what they'd been through of late. In that moment it was as if a set of blinders had come off. This shouldn't be 'us' against 'them' he realized. The only 'them' was the Covenant and it was time all of them, himself included, remembered that.

The debrief done it was time to dismiss but first Mike had some closing comments. "Tomorrow will be a light day," he announced. "Wolfpack, you'll be working the tactical simulators," then he looked at the ODST's and said,"Alpha Team you'll be doing live fire on the range and getting some time to hit the gym." That brought a smile from some of the Helljumpers. All braced for the command to dismiss but Mike paused, sensing the need to do more. "Stand easy, everyone and circle up." The Spartans moved in automatically but the Marines held back, maintaining their formation. "No, everyone, you guys bring it in too."

The Helljumpers hesitated until MacGregor barked out, "Come on lads, move your arses."

Curiosity etched the ODST's hard faces as they moved in, mingling with the Spartans.

Mike looked around until he caught everyone's eyes. Then to the Helljumpers he said, "Listen guys, we've been going pretty hard at each other lately but I want you to know how much I appreciate what you're doing. I know it sucks to be cannon fodder for a training program but you've given us more than we can handle at times, I've got the bruises to prove it," that comment brought a chuckle from some of the ODST's and smiles from the others as the Spartans winced in remembrance. "And you've given us the best workup I've ever experienced. We're on a short calendar here and this has only been possible because of what you've done. I want to thank you for that and let you know how much we all appreciate what you're doing, even if we don't always like it."

That brought nods of satisfaction from the seasoned combat veterans.

"Wolfpack, form up!" Mike ordered and the Spartans moved quickly into formation. "To our brothers in the 2nd Shock, present arms."

The Spartans snapped off crisp salutes to the ODST's who were visibly moved by the display of respect, several bit their lips, the emotion of the day becoming a bit much.

"All right everyone, dismissed. Alpha Team, you have the night free, permission to go into town on liberty."

That brought a cheer from the ODST's as the group broke to go to their quarters. Gunny MacGregor hung back though.

"That was well done sir, thank you," the hardened veteran commented.

"You all deserve it, gunny," Mike confirmed. "We couldn't do this without you and your boys, Hank. I just wanted you all to know how much we appreciate it."

"I know that and the boys know that but few ever acknowledge what we do…," MacGregor paused to collect his growing emotions. "We're forgotten and left in the shadows of more high profiles operators."

"Like Spartans?" Mike answered, noting the tears welling up in the passionate Scotsman's eyes."

"Aye."

"You're right, you don't," Mike acknowledged. "And my company was slaughtered and no one knew anything about it either."

"I guess then we share some of the same experiences," MacGregor admitted.

"We do," Mike continued with a note of hardness in his voice. "We're in this together and we need each other. I just wanted your guys to know how much we all appreciate them. And I want you to know how much I appreciate you."

"Well, me boys have no love for your pampered children sir but we're proud to be helping get you ready for the fight."

"Good. Why don't you take the night off and go out with them, enjoy yourself for once," Mike suggested, slapping the senior NCO on the back.

A smile lit up the hardened veterans face. "I might just do that." MacGregor snapped off a crisp salute and walked away.

Mike stood and watched the ODST NCO leave. He had a feeling of joy and contentment come over him at the thought. It was time for his own celebration.  
Back in the young Spartans team area once they entered in and shut the door the party began.

"Yes, that's the way Wolfpack!" Terrell shouted jubilantly. The Spartan's celebrated their victory over the ODSTs and the mood was jubilant. Mike watched the Wolfpack, his team, and the genuine joy on their faces and got caught up in the moment.

"Hey, Adam, you did good today," Matt confessed, coming over and giving him a chest bump.

"Thanks Matt," Adam acknowledged, "And that last time you rushed their position and captured the flag. I don't know how you did it. How many times did you get hit?"

"I don't know, four maybe." He raised his shirt to show the nasty welts. "I wanted us to win."

"Well you were great," Alissa joined in. "Here, take this," she handed him an ice pack for the welts.

"Thanks," Matt was touched by the gesture from one he'd been antagonist towards up until then.

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Melanie walked in to join the celebration.

"Group!" Maia called out, bringing everyone to attention.

"Relax, as you were," she ordered. "I just wanted to congratulate you on how well you did today. I was very proud of you and I know Lieutenant Commander Kurt would be as well."

"Thanks," Adam acknowledged for the group. "But we couldn't have done so well without the techniques you taught us."

"I agree."

Everyone turned to see that Mike had slipped into the room. Adam was about to call everyone to attention but Mike waved him off.

"You were all excellent today and we moved as one, and yes, what you've done for us has made us better," he gestured towards Melanie.

The other Spartans of the Wolfpack nodded their head in agreement, even Matt. All seemed to be caught up in the moment and Melanie felt a joy and inclusion she hadn't experienced in years. Not since her days at Camp Currahee had she felt such…what was it…happiness. Her heart was gripped by the emotion of the moment. Then her eyes fixed on Mike who though celebrating with his team looked at her with unbridled affection. The others were swirling around the room in a general spirit of merriment but he seemed to see only her which made her heart now leap into her mouth. She wanted to go to him but couldn't so willed him to come to her.

Then her wish was granted.

Mike disentangled himself from the antics of the teenagers and slid over to where she stood away from the fray in a corner of the room.

"Thanks Mel, you've been a great help," Mike declared, a happy smile lighting up his face. Spontaneously he grabbed her and gave the woman a quick hug. As he went to break it though Melanie not only accepted the embrace but eagerly prolonged it, not letting go. Without armor the connection between their bodies was not impeded and so the joining was almost electric. The two held the hug, savoring the moment.

"Mike? Mike Nantz?"

Mike was ripped from the moment and turned to the one who'd called out his voice. It was Natalia.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

 **October 13, 2552, 1937 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Natalia has wasted no time. She'd signed out a staff vehicle and had begun the drive to Losantiville from New Harmony. It had taken the better part of the day but the drive had given her time to think and plan what she was going to say to Mike when she got there. She'd told Commander Sullivan she'd be gone for a few days to inspect the factories in that key military production center so she had the liberty needed to do what she'd planned. Everything was perfect, that was until she'd walked in and caught Mike hugging another woman.

Eagerly Natalia had arrived at the facility which was holding the training unit Mike was part of. Her uniform and ONI id had easily gotten her past the Marine in the guard hut to the compound. Then entering the main building she'd asked for Mike and been given directions. She'd not noticed the looks she received, hers was a singular mission. Heading down the hallway to a team room she'd been told by an ODST sergeant who gave her a strange look where she could find him.

Nearing her objective the eager woman's heart began to beat up into her mouth when she heard Mike's voice. She could feel his id discs caressing her breasts and his voice was almost intoxicating. Without any fanfare or introduction she burst into the middle of a room holding a team of Spartans and then her eyes had locked onto Mike hugging another woman off to the side and her greeting hung in the air.

"Natalia?" Mike stammered in response, leaving the hug as if he'd been shocked by electricity.

Mike had wondered what a reunion with Natalia would be like if they were ever to connect again but this was not how he'd pictured it going down. He'd thought a lot about Natalia and their time together on Reach. He'd been conflicted when she left but then circumstances had forced him to pack those emotions away. The when he'd been convalescing on Cairo Station and so near Earth he'd thought of her again but again his thoughts had been interrupted by circumstances. And then he'd been reunited with Melanie and that had been confusing enough so once more he'd set aside his feelings for the tumultuous billionaire's daughter.

And now she was standing before him with a mixed look of shock and anticipation on her face.

All conversation in the room stopped as everyone turned to look at the new visitor. Despite wearing an ONI work dress uniform Natalia could still draw attention. Her muscular, athletic frame fit nicely into the tailored uniform and the fact she stood 6' 1" also made her stand out. Even though her blond hair was pulled back that enhanced the red streaks that she had throughout. Her emerald green eyes took everything in and already their intensity caught on with several of the male Spartans in the room, including Mike.

"What…what are you doing here?" Mike stammered, head swimming at the unexpected event.

Natalia had rehearsed what she planned on saying a hundred times on the trip to Losantiville but now she froze, unsure what to say or do. The woman who'd been hugging Mike was obviously a Spartan and she looked at her with suspicion. There were more Spartans in the room who'd stopped their celebration to stare at her. Suddenly Natalia felt like she was back on Reach again that first day she'd met Noble Team. In her mind she'd pictured a happy reunion, one like in the romantic movies she'd watched when she'd been a pre-teen and life seemed simpler.

But life was not simple for Natalia Misriah, despite all her financial advantages.

"I...uhm…I…," she stammered, unable to get control of her mouth let alone her mind in this moment. The smirks of several of the Spartans in the room at her obvious discomfort angered the proud woman, compounding an already declining mood.

Gunny MacGregor marched purposefully into the room not noticing Natalia at first. "Sir, it's important that you….whoa…," the ODST NCO not only noticed the new person in the room but the thick tension. It took the seasoned veteran only an instant to size up the situation and respond. "All right me wee bairns, lecture hall, now."

"Ah, but gunny, there's nothing on the schedule," Matt whined, not wanting to leave.

"You're special ops now, boyo, that means you have no schedule," MacGregor growled, "now move it."

"I'll be going too," Melanie announced tersely. "I have some work to do to prepare for tomorrow's exercise. Excuse me." The female Spartan strode purposefully past Natalia without looking at her and the others followed suit.

Mike and Natalia were left alone.

An awkward silence hung in the room as neither knew what to say or do.

"Natalia, what are you doing here?" Mike repeated his question, still reeling from the suddenness of the unexpected event. His mind was locked, like a computer frozen in a load screen.

"I was assigned to Mars and so I wanted to see you," Natalia replied, processing for herself the unexpected discovery and now unsure of what to think.

"Oh, okay, makes sense," Mike said, the light that had come into his eyes fading to dark as he interpreted the statement.

The perceptive woman caught the shift in him. Part of her still wanted to just go and hug him but her pride stood in the way. "No, that's not what I mean. I mean I wanted to see you again so I was able to get myself assigned to Mars."

"Why didn't you call?" Mike asked, pursing hips lips in confusion. Though happy with her response the suddenness of her unannounced arrival still had him off guard.

"I don't know," Natalia answered honestly, wrestling with the question like she'd done every day since discovering where he was, unsure what else to say in her defence.

"I see."

Natalia didn't like Mike's tone. Though delighted to see Mike she had an instant jealousy of the attractive female Spartan with the striking features who he'd been hugging. Weren't they supposed to be ugly, she thought, and look more like soldiers? This one had a nose stud, a big blond streak in her hair and penetrating eyes. If Natalia stopped her growing jealousy for a moment she'd realize she was describing herself in many ways minus the jewellery. Instead she allowed a growing anger to take hold at how all this was playing out.

"Who is she?" Natalia asked pointedly.

"What?" Mike responded, still trying to adjust to the reunion.

"Who is she?"

"She's Mel," Mike answered with a shrug. "She was on my team back on Onyx. We were friends."

"Looks like it," Natalia responded jealously.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mike growled, his own anger at her just waltzing in like nothing had gone on the last few months beginning to boil over.

"Whatever you want it to," Natalia shot back petulantly.

"Oh that's nice, I've been back from Reach nearly two months, I hear nothing from you, no contact, and then you breeze in here without any warning or heads up and you're mad at me?" Mike retorted.

"Yea, well it's not like you went out of your way to find me," Natalia shot back, her voice rising with emotion. "I'm not that hard to find you know, not like you."

"I'm not the one who left Reach early."

"I didn't leave, I was forced to go," Natalia yelled, not caring if anyone heard, "or did you forget that?"

The two stood and stared each other down, hands on hips.

"No, I didn't forget," Mike answered, his tone becoming quiet and somber as he dropped his eyes to break the glare they'd been locked in. "I do remember. I remember you didn't want to go, that you wanted to stay."

"I did want to stay Mike," Natalia confirmed, urgency in her voice. "I hated leaving you in the middle of the fight."

"I know. It didn't go so good after that." The troubled Spartan paused, trying to forget the faces of his dead teammates burned in his mind. "I didn't know what happened to you after you left," Mike stated quietly. "We'd never really spelled things out between us before you left. I just figured things had changed."

"No, nothing has changed, Mike," Natalia responded passionately, spontaneously putting her hand on his forearm. It's just...it's just," she stammered, it's been all so confusing. At first I didn't know if you were dead or not," Natalia said, trying to contain her growing emotions.

"Well, I wasn't," Mike responded unsympathetically to her genuine emotions, instead responding with a note of bitterness. "I was one of the few."

"I'm so sorry for what happened to the rest of the team. I wish…I wish I'd been there with you through it," Natalia declared

Mike looked carefully at the gorgeous woman standing before him. He couldn't deny her looks but that wasn't what drew him to her. It never had back on Reach and it didn't now. No, it was her vulnerability. Despite physical, political and economic power she was a woman searching for something much like he was. When he'd discovered that on Reach the door to his heart had been unlocked. But was that enough now that they were away from the situation? Their circumstances had changed and now Mike wasn't sure that the magic they'd experienced there could be replicated. Part of him had wanted to lock it away like in a museum, though another part wanted to go deeper. Now as Natalia stood before him with a conflicted look on her face he had to decide the path to take.

In the end the choice was made for him.

"Sir, colonel wants to see you in his office, pronto," Gunny MacGregor entered the room with an apologetic look on his face.

"Listen, I have to go. It's been good seeing you," Mike declared with a note of finality. He wanted to say more, his mind was screaming at him to say more, but he just couldn't bring it out. He was more comfortable with an Assault Rifle in his hands then he was with conflict and personal feelings.

This was a moment of truth for Natalia Misriah. Things had always come easily to her but not this. Her mind was conflicted; fear, doubt and even anger all collided causing a state of confusion. But despite everything that shrieked retreat and save face there was something stronger in the passionate woman that compelled her to begin to fight for what she wanted.

"Could we talk sometime soon, Mike? Please?" Natalia asked, almost begging.

Mike looked up from the floor tiles he'd been focusing on and saw a look of earnestness in the proud woman's face that broke through the confusion in his heart like a MAC round. "Yea, we probably should. How long are you on Mars?" he asked, beginning to swim in her deep emerald green eyes.

A smile lite up the attractive woman's face. "It's pretty open ended and my schedule is totally flexible." She handed him a card. "This is my number, call me anytime, please."

Mike looked at it, pursed his lips and answered, "Okay, I will, promise." Then he wheeled and purposefully strode out of the room leaving Natalia alone. The emotion and intensity of reunion became more than she could handle and her knees buckled as tears filled her eyes. "Please Mike, please call."

Two hundred and twenty five million kilometers away the scene was being viewed on a data terminal in the Hive in Sydney.

"Play it again," Admiral Parangosky ordered Black Box to replay the scene where Natalia walked in on Mike and Melanie. The elderly woman let out a low sound of delight that made Captain Osman feel uncomfortable. She snorted joyfully at not only the obvious surprise but discomfort as the scene unfolded. The elderly woman chuckled to herself wickedly. "Now wasn't that just special? Poor Natalia travels all the way to Mars to find the Lone Wolf has another girl. This couldn't be any better."

Though Serin Osman had no love for Natalia Misriah she couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse for the younger woman. Still, she knew better than to show that to her obviously delighted superior officer and mentor. "So now what happens?" she asked evenly.

Parangosky seemed to sense the lack of delight in her protégée and gave the captain a withering look that caused the former Spartan to pull back. "We wait and watch. This will play itself out without any help from us. These are two incendiary devices waiting to go off. The other Spartan in the mix is a delicious bonus," then the admiral added wickedly, "don't you think Serin?"

Margaret Parangosky was amused by the sputtering response of her obviously conflicted aid. It didn't matter if she took perverse delight, for the tactically-thinking senior officer despite the fact she loved what she'd seen her greater goal in arranging and allowing the connection was to keep the Misriah's off balance and if she could destabilize Mike's team that would be a dagger in the back of Ackerson. She smiled broadly. This was going to be an excellent day.

 **October 13, 2552 on the human calendar, High Charity, Holy City of the Covenant**

"You asked to see me, Excellency," Brute Chieftain Lepidus rumbled as he entered the mediation chamber of the High Prophet of Truth.

"Ah yes, I'm glad you could come on such short notice," the seven-plus foot San'Shyuum said, sitting upon a hovering disc. "Is the reorganization of your fleet going well?"

The shaggy, dark brown-haired Brute grunted out a laugh as his red eyes danced. "Yes, all is proceeding well. The underlings are learning the ways of their new masters."

The two were referring to the recent command change in the Covenant where the Elites had been replaced by the Brutes in key leadership positions by a group of the High Prophets who were making a play for power. The well-named Brutes were enjoying their new found power and exerting it taking advantage of the perceived failure of Elite Commander Thel 'Vadamee to protect the sacred Halo ring. Tried before the High Council, the three leading hierarchs led by Truth began the reorganization that would allow them to accomplish the reclamation they thought was the next natural progression in their religious study of Forerunner artefacts that had begun hundreds of years earlier.

Now, with the recent discovery of Earth in the Sol system the ruling council was about to make their move. But the wily Prophet of Truth still didn't trust a number of the other Hierarchs. So he and Regret, along with Mercy had decided to make a bold stroke alone. The overwhelming forces they'd brought to bear on planet Reach had been unnecessary to achieve victory and so with the lessons learned, and the more aggressive Brutes in command, it was felt a smaller force would be more than sufficient to decimate the human population of that system. Besides, they had a strong belief there would be a vast treasure of sacred artefacts to be found and the greedy trio had no interest in sharing these further steps in the Great Journey with the other Hierarchs.

So all that was needed was to have the right pieces in place.

The San'Shyuum High Prophet of Truth looked imperiously at the Brute. "With the Sangheili replaced by the rightful commanders from the Jiralhanae we are now ready to move forward in not only the collection of sacred artefacts but also the eradication of that infestation of humans."

"Good, we've waited too long since our last victory," the Brute Chieftain agreed. But Lepidus was also no fool. Despite his bulk and boorish demeanor he was a careful tactician and thoughtful leader. "But what will our fleet disposition be? Earth will be more heavily defended than that last planet and they must be expecting us. Is a smaller expeditionary force a wise move?"

"The divine is upon our side, shipmaster," Truth declared zealously. "No, we will move decisively and with speed. Our ability for precision slipspace jumps will also allow us to come upon their defensive fence and strike before they are ready."

The gorilla-like creature nodded his shaggy head in agreement. Though he had his reservations he also was ambitious and knew the opportunity presented to him. The spoils of war went to the bold, not the timid. "You have thought this out well, excellency," Lepidus pandered to the vain prophet.

"A new age of Reclamation is at hand, shipmaster," Truth declared in his high pitched voice, "and you will have the honor of participating in it."

Lepidus grunted in approval. "What is your wish, excellency?"

"You will bring your fleet up to battle readiness and prepare for departure on short notice."

"And Thel'Vadamee and the rest of the Sangheili?"

"You mean Thel' Vadam?" Truth stated mockingly using the Elite commanders new title derisively to which Lepidus chuckled in a low, gravely voice. "You are a wise and thoughtful chieftain; I will leave it to your wisdom to discern the threat from that one. As for their whole incompetent race, no, they are of no consequence anyone. It is time for the Great Journey to move forward. There has been too much talk and simpering going on. The devout will show their true allegiance and be rewarded for it." The prophet stopped for a moment to consider what he'd just said. Eyes gleaming zealously he declared, "Nothing will stand in our way of the Reclamation."


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

 **October 14, 2552, 2028 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Natalia Misriah?" Melanie declared in a tone that showed she couldn't believe what she'd seen the previous evening.

"She was on my team on Reach and we got to know each other," Mike answered, trying to shrug off the declaration. He could see the emotion building in the usually reserved female Spartan.

"You know Natalia Misriah?" Melanie said for emphasis, venom dripping from her voice.

"Yes, do you know her?"

"Everyone knows who Natalia Misriah is and everyone knows what type of woman she is," Melanie stated with more emotion in her voice then Mike had ever heard before.

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Lone Wolf shot back testily, taken aback by the woman's response.

"You're a smart guy; you should be able to figure it out." Melanie retorted, regretting the statement but allowing her anger to prevail so let the statement sink in.

The pair had not spoken since the previous evening when Natalia had burst in. The Wolf Pack had left before dawn on a series of exercises that had taken the better part of the day and then they'd done their post-exercise drills. So this was the first opportunity Mike and Melanie had to catch their breath and catch up. Both it seemed had been brooding over the unexpected encounter the previous day allowing their emotions to reach somewhat of a boiling point. The results had been obvious.

It didn't help the mood that the exercise had not gone well. The symmetry between Mike and Melanie that had become a potent force for the Wolf Pack's training had been disrupted it seemed and so several minor mistakes had been made. Worse, a palpable tension seemed to be growing between the two. It was obvious to the rest of the team, and indeed the whole training unit, what the source of that was which caused a compounding of the distraction.

"I don't get it," Mike declared still trying to process Natalia's return and what that meant to him, especially after all the talks he and Melanie had had of late. Her aggressive responses were not helping the situation.

"You don't get it, or you don't want to get it?" Melanie shot back forcefully.

The Lone Wolf was taken aback by the tone. He'd never experienced this type of emotion from his former teammate _. I guess a lot of things have changed in the years apart_ he thought to himself. "What's this all about, really?" he asked, standing his ground.

Melanie had to admit she wasn't sure herself. The feelings welling up within her were a new experience and she didn't like them. For years she'd been in control not only of her faculties but usually also the situation around her. The Whisper didn't like this new sensation of vulnerability. Her instinctive reaction was to pull back into the fortress she'd hidden her emotions behind and while part of her screamed to do that, another strong part of her, strangely, didn't want to give up so easily when she looked hard at what was standing before her. This was becoming all so complicated.

As Mike and Melanie danced around the issue at hand it arose as well in the team common area as the remainder of the Wolf Pack unwound after their frustrating day.

"Whoa, can you believe the CO knows Natalia Misriah?" Maia asked, wanting to change the subject from the failed exercise that day.

"Looks like he more than knows her," Terrell added, happy for the distraction. "Story was they were a bit of an item on Reach."

"Lucky guy, she's hot," Matt declared enviously.

"Well I don't like her," Alissa cut in stormily.

"What's not to like? She has looks, money…," Matt countered.

"She's not one of us," Alissa shot back, cutting the envious Spartan off.

"Who cares? With what she has going for her what does it matter? Plus her dad could buy a team like us and not even put a dent in his wallet," Matt declared.

"I care!" Alissa retorted hotly. "And you can't buy this kind of team." She stood before her teammate aggressively with hands on her hips. "You know Matt money doesn't give you everything."

"Oh yea? It does for the things that matter," the Spartan who was built like a bull countered stubbornly.

"It's exactly the things that matter you CAN'T buy with it," Alissa yelled angrily, her brown eyes flashing.

Adam watched helplessly as the bickering between the two continued and ended up drawing Maia and Terrell into the mix. It didn't take a depth of instinct to know this wasn't healthy but he seemed incapable of doing anything about it other than fall into a state of discouragement. The old indecision from Onyx began to creep back in and that only furthered his feelings of helplessness. It had definitely had a negative impact on their training and would likely sink far deeper than that if it wasn't eliminated.

 _Happy thought_ Adam considered as his discouragement grew.

As Team Wolf Pack's conversation degenerated Natalia sat in her quarters mulling over the events from the day. She'd been billeted in visiting officer's quarters at ONI headquarters so while comfortable and spacious they were far from opulent especially considering her condo back in Sydney. Still, she was happy in this environment and happy to be doing something.

But what was she doing?

The question struck her as strange. She'd not heard from Mike since their initial awkward reunion nor did she try to contact him. Normally this would have caused anxiety but instead had been a bit of a relief. Natalia needed some time to process what she's seen and her brief conversation with Mike.

Still, the quick thinking woman had been far from idle.

While Natalia hadn't tried to contact him she had checked the parade states for the UNSC forces on the planet and had seen Mike's team had been out in the field for the day on an exercise. That gave her a sense of peace to carry of through the day.

Resolutely, Natalia knew they would talk and then she'd see. Mike had said he would call and he was a man of his word. So for now she'd have to wait and be patient. That was not one of her strongest character traits, though. Still, the driven woman reminded herself that at least they'd made contact and had opened a conversation. While the sight of the attractive Spartan had thrown her off he'd also seemed interested at least to see her. That had to be something positive, she thought to herself.

Still, Natalia Misriah had deep concerns. One of her creeping fears was that what they'd had on Reach had been left behind there, that it had been something driven by circumstances. She couldn't believe it was true, wouldn't believe it really but she did have to consider it. Thus far she'd resisted the urge to check up on who the woman was who had been hugging Mike when she'd walked in. It wouldn't be hard with her access to the ONI databanks to find out.

Not yet but maybe tomorrow.

As Natalia thought about Mike her hand unconsciously began to stroke the id discs that still hung between her breasts. The sensation was stimulating and she began to wonder what Mike would think if he knew where they were and what she was thinking right now.

 _Focus Tali!_

The distracted woman chided herself for allowing her thoughts and fantasies to get ahead of reality. Though she did have an active imagination the woman had gotten used to getting her way so had never had to hold back. But this was different. She couldn't take, it could only be given and so she had to wait. Thus, with a practical element to her character as well, she tried to manage her expectations.

Or she tried at least.

Natalia willed herself to shift her focus to her notes from the day. She'd toured three production plants over the course of her travels and while two had been on overdrive producing armoured vehicles for the UNSC the other one that was to be producing fighters, which was owned by her father, had been in a virtual state of shutdown. When she'd pressed the plant manager on this she got the same answer she had at the first one- that they were down for routine maintenance.

The puzzled woman sat at the desk in her room gazing out the picture window as night came to Mars deep in thought while pulling on her bottom lip unconsciously. Natalia had a practical side to her and knew a fair amount about business so she could understand the statements but still they didn't sit right. She knew the sense of urgency in the UNSC right now and the feverish pace all were doing to prepare for the expected Covenant attack so to shut down during this critical phase seemed foolish and she knew her father was no fool.

Which meant there was something else going on.

While Natalia was on Mars to reunite with Mike she couldn't help but be drawn into the mystery of what was going on with Misriah Armory. She had made no report to Captain Osman yet and knew she had to but wasn't sure what to say. Should she contact her father and ask him or just report what she found and leave it at that? Despite the estrangement between her and her father she still was loyal to him and her family but also felt a sense of obligation to the UNSC. This was more than she'd bargained for. She'd come to Mars to find Mike, not to become embroiled in politics and yet this is what seemed to be happening both personal and professional. What could she do? What should she do? She'd like to talk to Mike about it, if only he would call.

 **October 14, 2552, 2035 Hours, Sydney Australia, planet Earth**

"Natalia visited two more of our plants in Losantiville today," Mackenzie Wainwright reported.

"I'm aware of that," Spanner Misriah answered with an edge to his voice.

"So what are we going to do?" the executive asked, a note of uncertainty in his voice.

"Nothing, its business as usual," the billionaire industrialist stated nonchalantly, taking a sip of thirty year old Scotch whisky from a heavy, cut crystal glass.

"Yes, but if she reports to the Council or to Parangosky, what then?" Mackenzie asked, trying to mask his surprise at the seeming lack of care from the man whose whole business rested in government contracts.

"What can they do?" Spanner said more as a statement than a question. Turning away he looked out the full wall plate glass window that showed the night lights of thriving metropolis. "We've met the production goals given to us and in the next couple of days all our operations will be online in their new locations."

"Well yes, but only at the minimum range of the band," Mackenzie countered carefully, not wanting to push his volatile master too hard.

"It doesn't matter, they're my companies," the billionaire shot back without concern.

"Yes, but we have contracts with the UNSC and certain provisos in them. Ones that expressly forbid this kind of activity."

"I'm aware of that Mackenzie, what's your point?"

"My point is if they find out, what does that mean to us going forward?" Mackenzie asked, still uncertain why his boss didn't seem to care.

Spanner Misriah snorted derisively. "It's no wonder you couldn't hold my daughter's attention. You really don't get it, do you?"

The handsome executive was taken aback by the comment and unsuccessfully tried to mask it. "I guess I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?" He was getting tired of being treated like a child by the billionaire industrialist and like an annoying puppy by his daughter.

"Careful, Mr. Wainwright," Spanner warned, his eyes narrowing menacingly. Seeing the sought after response from his young protégée he continued but this time more reflectively. "A storm is coming, Mackenzie," he began, like a Zen master speaking to a pupil. "A fire is about to be unleashed upon us. The Covenant will find Earth and will attack it. When they do we need to be positioned for the next phase."

"We, meaning the UNSC or we, meaning Misriah Armory?" Mackenzie asked deferentially but with curiosity rising beginning to be drawn in.

"What do you think?"

"Earth can defend itself, this is not Reach. We'll have 300 MAC platforms operational by the end of the month. The Covenant won't get through."

"But what about Mars?" Spanner asked, cocking an eye brow inquisitively.

Mackenzie opened his mouth to speak but the words caught in his throat as it all came together. Of course Spanner Misriah knew. For him everything was a calculated equation. "You believe Mars will be attacked and glassed."

"Exactly."

"And you've moved production…"

"For the good of the UNSC of course," Spanner declared magnanimously, opening his arms welcomingly for emphasis. "What good would it be if all our production was lost? We are, after all, the key producer for humanity."

"But the Council, it goes against their protocols." Mackenzie found himself almost choking to catch his breath, the sheer audacity at his boss' actions griping him

"The Council will bitch and complain when they find out."

"And?" Mackenzie could barely breathe out.

"And will do nothing," Spanner stated, swishing the contents of his glass around like a whirlpool. "When the storm comes they'll need my production, and I will be prepared to give it to them."

"For a price."

Spanner Misriah remained silent though he did toss back the remainder of his expensive whisky in one drink.

Mackenzie Wainwright shuddered at the calculation of the man before him and began to wonder if it wasn't a blessing in disguise that Natalia had seemed to lose interest.

Back on Mars Natalia continued to think and to brood moodily. Lately when this happened she'd find solace in alcohol but she'd vowed not to do that again. That was no solution, but still, she needed something. She'd thought to be in Mike's arms right now and that was in question. She closed her eyes and all she could see was Mike in the arms of that other woman. Anger, sadness, confusion, frustration all welled up from within the proud woman. Was the troubled Spartan worth it? Yes, they'd shared a connection like none she'd ever had before on Reach but what was in based on? No one from her circle seemed to accept what had happened between them let alone understand. Was she the one missing something here? Was it circumstantial? She would not even entertain the thought, so caught up was she in the romance and drama of their circumstance but this was war. Should she be more practical?

Natalia removed the id discs that she'd worn around her neck since leaving Reach. She looked carefully at them, studying every character and then placed them on the desk before her.

There was a longing that had been released from the woman from deep within, she couldn't deny that. But what was it?

Touring her father's plants had caused a flood of memories of her childhood to be released. The current disconnect with Mike only enhanced the experience. She had a longing for something. It wasn't Mackenzie, though he kept messaging her. Strangely, this longing was for her father. They'd had a detached relationship prior to her time on Reach and a strained one since and yet…

Natalia sat and pondered the idea for longer than she'd thought. Looking at the time the woman was startled to realize how long she'd been thinking. Checking the time difference she knew he'd still be up.

Natalia knew that she could use Waypoint but also knew those conversations were monitored by ONI. Anything they said would be recorded and likely go up the chain of command considering the name attached. There was still the issue of the idle factories but that wasn't an issue and she wouldn't bring it up. So what was holding her back?

The brooding woman pondered the question for a bit. Ultimately Natalia didn't care anymore who knew what. She felt alone in the cosmos and the communications satellites with their slipspace capabilities for those who could afford the highest level of service could bring her instantaneous connection. She was a Misriah. The name seemed to have precious few advantages of late; it was time to experience some of them now.

Firing up her datapad Natalia paused and thought anew about what she wanted to say. Instead, she put that aside and decided to go with her heart and see where things went.

Spanner Misriah was deep in thought when his portable data device went off. At this point in the night he was inclined to ignore it but the distinct sound meaning a specific caller was trying to reach him.

It was Natalia.

He lunged for the device and got to it on the fourth cycle. "Natalia?" he asked, anxiety in his voice.

"Hi dad." The feigned perkiness was easy to break through. There was a hollowness to her voice.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yea, fine. I just was thinking about you and wanted to say hello."

"That's nice to hear, I appreciate it," Spanner replied, genuinely touched. But still, he knew what she'd been doing so there was still an edginess to his voice. "What have you been up to?"

"Not too much, really just getting oriented," his daughter sought clumsily to evade the question.

"Any idea how long you're going to stay."

"I'm not sure yet." Natalia paused for a moment as she thought. "Maybe not too long."

"Well, it'll be nice to have you home but you do what you need to do," Spanner tried to sound supportive, not even sure that he knew how anymore.

"Thanks dad. And I'm sorry for screwing up so much lately. I'm sorry I've embarrassed you." Now there was genuine emotion in Natalia's voice and her father could tell she was holding back a sob.

"It's okay, sweetheart. We're Misriah's; we rise above this kind of stuff." At that moment he longed to just take his daughter in his arms and forget everything else.

"Thanks." Natalia sniffled hard and collected her emotions. "Do you remember when we were all here, years ago before mom left? When we took that canal cruise?"

"Yes, I do." Now it was Spanner Misriah's voice that broke slightly with emotion.

"Those were happy times."

The pair talked about that trip and old times for a few minutes and while pleasant to a degree there was still a distance between father and daughter. Spanner had still been guarded and a bit edgy while Natalia had just wanted to talk. It was as if the businessman kept expecting his daughter to ask about the plants when all she'd wanted to do was have a normal conversation but it didn't seem like he was able.

Still, it had been the most pleasant conversation either could recall for a long time and that was sad in itself.

The call ended well for Spanner Misriah but as he terminated the transmission he couldn't help but think he'd lost some sort of opportunity. It was pretty clear his daughter was reaching out to him and sought something but he couldn't seem to let down his guard enough to really be just her father. He'd kept wondering what her agenda had been so never truly let his guard down. To him, it was better safe than sorry. Besides, when she got back he could make up for it.

For Natalia, as she signed off there remained an unsatisfied longing for something more out of life. She had looks, money, power and influence but she knew she wanted more. She wanted an intimacy that was freely given, not acquired. The woman's thoughts drifted back to Reach and her time with Mike. They'd had, despite the battle raging on around them, the intimacy she sought and the more she contemplated it the more determined she became to fight for him if she had to.


	20. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

 **October 15, 2552 on the human calendar, Triumphant Declaration, leaving orbit of High Charity, Holy City of the Covenant**

The repulsor engines of the Covenant CCS-class battle cruiser hummed hypnotically as the lead ship in the Fleet of Furious Redemption pulled away from the hub of the Covenant empire. Shipmaster Lepidus looked over the readiness states of the ships under his command with satisfaction. The Brute chieftain smiled to himself as he thought of all that had been accomplished of late. The Elites had been brought under heel and now the Jiralhanae were in their rightful place of prominence. His battle group was part of a larger one under the Prophet of Truth that would once and for all annihilate the human vermin that had so infected the galaxy with their reckless ambition. While Truth and his cohorts had talked about a search for holy relics that they believed would be found in the Sol System he was not quite so religious though he would respectfully defer to the Prophet who had brought together such a large and diverse coalition. No, his actions were holy in a way but were more a holy war of extermination.

Despite his bulk and aggressive demeanor Lepidus was a deep thinker and shrewd tactician. He knew that the fleet he was part of was paltry compared to the one that had taken Reach and that did concern him. Earth's defenses would be vaster and they would be ready. On Reach they had the element of surprise but not here.

"All is prepared, shipmaster," Mygaeum, the second in command of the cruiser and member of Lepidus' clan confirmed. "What are your orders?"

"We wait for the word from the prophets," Lepidus replied, his eyes fixed on the view screen and again contemplating the odds.

"Hmm," the shaggy, tan furred Brute snorted, "how long do we wait on their kind to make decisions? I tire of their dithering."

"Careful, Mygaeum," Lepidus rumbled. "Even our ships have ears."

The aggressive nine foot tall Brute snorted again derisively. "Yes, yes, proper deference to our wise prophets," he stated, but the aggressive warrior added, "I just want to know when. We've waited too long."

"Patience, my friend," the clan chief and shipmaster replied calmly, "The time will come as will the time of the Jiralhanae. One step at a time."

Lepidus understood the frustration of his eager clansman. They'd fought together for years but he could wait, especially when it profited him and his race. For now he would play the obedient soldier.

Their conversation was interrupted by a blinking red light on his command console. That was the signal they'd all be waiting for.

"Brothers, he roared, "the time has come for conquest and glory, take us out of orbit."

The Brutes around bellowed in joy as the ship began to pull away from the home city of the Covenant.

 **October 15, 2552, 0645 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike paced around his quarters like a caged animal. He'd slept little as his mind churned. They had a light day since the following would be a major two-day exercise. He knew he had to address the distractions going on in his mind before hitting the field. Natalia had been on his mind but so had Melanie. He took out Natalia's card and turned it around in his fingers. The Lone Wolf remembered the churning emotions around the turbulent woman and knew he didn't have the time or desire to go back there again but another part of him remembered the good feelings he'd had too plus some of the moments of real connection they'd shared. The thoughtful Spartan knew he just couldn't forget it and hope it would go away. Although he had to admit to experiencing some feelings towards Melanie they were undeveloped and still not entirely understood. In contrast they were deeper but also on a much wider plain with Natalia.

No, Mike knew he had to move towards some form of resolution here for the good of all involved. He got his device, took a deep breath and then punched in Natalia's numeric sequence.

Natalia was up already. Though still not dressed she was pacing since sleep had been fleeting. The telecon with her father had been nice but still left much to desire. Longings for connection coursed through her body.

The restless woman really had nothing to do and the idea of another day of factory tours was less than motivating.

MacKenzie had messaged her again overnight she saw, and she had to confess there was a definite tone change in the confident executive. He seemed no longer pushy but rather sweet and caring. Was that something she could truly find satisfaction in or would it be merely settling? Natalia's troubled mind wondered though if the time was coming she'd have precious other options and needed to consider compromising and settling. That was a scary prospect for the woman used to getting what she wanted.

Natalia then thought anew of Mike and their short but turbulent relationship. Relationship? Could she even call it that? Whatever they'd had it had been electric to the woman and she knew the intensity of feelings she'd experienced. But was that healthy? Was it sustainable? And she WAS a Misriah and he was a Spartan. Was that a bridge too far?

Still, Natalia reminded herself, she was on Mars and she'd resolved to connect with him. The first time had been a disaster and Natalia knew she'd reacted poorly. She picked up her device and almost punched in the numbers she knew to be his. Being in ONI had its perks. But he'd said he would call and the impatient woman still had enough pride to not look desperate.

If she were honest with herself Natalia wanted him to call, yes, desperately even. They needed to talk, to resolve this question one way or another. She would just have to be patient.

And then her device went off.

Natalia's hand shot our laser fast to the table it sat on. Holding her breath waiting to see who it was from her heart leapt when she saw the number.

It was Mike calling.

Fumbling to engage the call the tone went of several more times before she could connect with the call. "Hello."

"Hi Natalia, it's me, Mike," he identified himself a bit awkwardly. "Do you have time this morning to meet?"

"For sure," Natalia responded a bit too eagerly _damn; don't act like such a school girl_ she chided herself. "I can meet you at the base anytime you'd like, I have transport."

"Why don't we meet off base?" Mike countered. "It'll be easier to talk. I'm sending you the location of a pastry shop."

The location of the café popped up on her device. Her heart sank as a dozen negative reasons flooded in. _He wants to meet away from everyone else so he can dump me. Probably figures I'll make a scene or something._ Just then another message popped up from MacKenzie. "Okay Mike, I'll see you there."

Ninety minutes later the pair sat is a small café just off a busy main street in the industrial city as a light rain drizzled the plate glass window causing a welcome distraction. Natalia picked away at the flaky pastry she'd chosen while Mike swirled a cup of coffee. Neither seemed to know where to begin or what to say.

"Mike."

"Natalia."

Both seemed to have the idea at the same time that something needed to be said so each spoke simultaneously. The thought caused each to chuckle which seemed to break the ice but it also reminded each that their thoughts had once been in alignment.

Mike took the initiative. "It's good to see you again Natalia. I've thought often about our time together on Reach."

"Yea, it's good to see you too, Mike," Natalia responded. _He's still calling me Natalia, not Tali_ , she thought to herself. "I'm sorry, again, that I didn't get in touch with you when I found out where you were. There's no excuse, things were just…just complicated."

How could the troubled woman tell him about everything that had gone on? Of her father's reaction? Of what had happened with MacKenzie? Reach seemed like a lifetime ago.

Mike could see the turmoil within the attractive woman. Part of it drew him to her but another part irritated him involuntarily. He'd stayed and watched the team die. She'd left to safety and her life back on Earth. She had everything he had nothing.

Yet she'd sought him out on Mars and was sitting right before him.

A thought hit Mike like a slipspace jump, something he hadn't considered before. Yes, she went back to Earth but it wasn't her choice and maybe it wasn't the life she wanted anymore. He had been angry that she'd not contacted him but he'd done absolutely nothing to seek her out either. Maybe she'd thought he'd been the one to lose interest. The idea transfixed him.

And yet here she was.

He'd allowed anger, hurt, bitterness and even if he was honest, jealousy to impede his judgment. She'd shown no signs of the old person the last few weeks on Reach. He saw where blame rested and it was squarely on his shoulders. He'd been jealous of her privileges and had allowed it to taint his views.

But what about Mel?

That was complicated. He knew he had feelings for her but he wasn't sure what they were. Natalia was intoxicating and she sat before him. Mike took a deep breath, wondering how his life had gotten so complicated and decided to deal with one thing at a time. For now, Natalia was here, looking longingly into his eyes, threatening to swallow him up like she'd done before on Reach. Fight or drown, those seemed to be his choices.

Natalia had allowed the last statement to hang out there without response. She lifted her eyes to stare at Mike and could tell he was processing. The thought that she knew, or cared enough, to be able to read him in this way hit home. Natalia did care for Mike, deeply. She probably loved him if she were brave enough to admit it. His granite grey eyes that could seem so cold had a spark within, betraying a depth of feeling she'd experienced back on Reach. That's what had driven her to seek him out. Yes, he was handsome, not in the ways of the men she knew back on Earth, but rather in a more raw and aggressive way that showed not only power but self-control. She looked at the long white scar on his jaw and ruddy complexion and knew her attraction was to more than the power under control he exuded. No, she had to confess, she was attracted to him as a man. Could she jump in all the way and not hold back? Her intellect said she could, even she should, but her heart still held fear, the fear of rejection and really being alone. Could she take the leap from the edge of the precipice?

 _She's doing it again_ , Mike thought involuntarily. _She has that puzzled look on her face that means she's processing something. I have to admit it's pretty cute._ The thoughtful Spartan was caught off guard by the perception he had into the complex woman. He could chalk it up to simply being insightful or else he could be honest with himself, which he wasn't sure he'd been of late, and admit that not only could he read Natalia Misriah but it was because of the depth of the affection that had grown within him.

The billionaire's daughter had so much going for her and on analysis there was absolutely nothing Mike could give her and no reason for them to be together, he thought. Yet when you remove the material advantages he possessed some things she desperately needed like stability and consistency. He knew these were the things in him that she was attracted to but his pride at his lack of the material had clouded his vision. No, if he were to truly be free, no matter how many days he had left, he needed to face this head on, just like fighting an Elite, and come to some conclusion. He'd have no peace if he didn't. Thoughts of Mel crowded in; confused feelings swirled around, trying to push his current train of thought off the tracks. And then he caught her staring at him with that little smile that had captured his heart before and he knew he needed to leap.

Mel would have to wait.

The two looked at each other and laughed spontaneously knowing each had been likely thinking the same thing as the other. The ice was broken and conversation began to flow freely. Despite the rain now pelting against the window, the distraction of different strata's in the world or even an impending Covenant attack, the two then began to talk as if nothing else in the world existed.

As the two began to reacquaint themselves back at the Wolf Pack's training centre Melanie walked purposefully into the office of Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor who had been preparing a lesson.

"Do you know where Lt. Commander Mike is, gunny?" she asked without fanfare.

"Don't know ma'am, sorry," MacGregor responded cautiously.

There was something about the ODSTs response that didn't sit right with the perceptive woman. "Well, is he on base?" she asked pointedly.

"No ma'am. He's off site on some personal business," MacGregor answered, correctly anticipating what the Spartan would ask.

"Thank you, gunny." Melanie turned and walked away so the senior NCO would not see her reaction.

Mike was with that woman.

Melanie was livid at the idea and didn't know why. Was it jealousy? She'd didn't know since she'd not felt it before. Regardless, she was both intensely upset and intensely angry. The idea bothered her greatly since she wasn't even sure of her own feelings towards Mike. The emotions hit her like angry wave after wave crashing onto an eroding shore line. The thoughts of them together began to consume the competitive woman and she could scarce think of anything else. She needed to do something to rid herself of the mental picture so headed to the gym.

Mike felt a lightness in his heart that had been absent for some time as he returned to the training center. The conversation had gone well. Nothing really had been resolved between them but at least they were talking and enjoying each other's company. They'd made plans to get together again after the next big training exercise so that gave Mike a degree of happiness that would allow him to return to the task requiring his undistracted attention.

Travelling through the empty common area he came unexpectedly face-to-face with Melanie. Though casually sitting on a table the intensity of her look showed she was anything but.

Mike stopped to try to measure what was going through the woman's mind. He didn't have long to wait.

"Where have you been?" Melanie asked evenly.

"Pardon?" Mike asked, sensing danger in the calm demeanor of the female Spartan.

"I asked you, where have you been?"

"Out, on some personal business," Mike tried to deflect the question with little success.

"You mean out with that Misriah woman," Melanie declared, her look turning to a glare.

"What if I was?" Mike responded belligerently, not necessarily appreciating the direction of the questioning.

Melanie shrugged her shoulders as if to be nonchalant though a tension in her face showed otherwise. "Your choice and your consequences." She handed over a data pad with an article about her antics at the nightclub in Sydney.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means dude nothing happens in a vacuum." Melanie shook her head as if correcting a child. "You connect with someone like her and there are consequences up and down the food chain."

"So?"

So she does all that shit and she's still here? If that happened to any of us we'd have been locked away deep in the brig. She reeks of privilege man."

"I can see your point," Mike acknowledged, more to process the concept than to come onto the hostile woman's side. Yet there was a degree of truth to what Melanie was saying if he were honest with himself. He'd been bothered by the same thing.

The female Spartan gave him a smug look as if she were reading his mind, raising one eyebrow for emphasis.

"We're…we're friends, okay?" Mike was beginning to crumble under the withering gaze.

Melanie snorted. "You're a Spartan, she's a socialite. The two don't mix and even if they did in theory they won't with this one. She's in a strata all her own."

Mike opened his mouth, a retort already on his tongue, but he paused. Deep down he thought much the same way, that had been one of the many things bugging him. True, they'd had something on Reach and even earlier in the morning had had a pleasant time together but to bring such a thing into the light of day? While he knew he wouldn't be accepted in her world for the first time he began to realize she might not be accepted in his. The concept stopped him dead in his tracks.

Melanie was a seasoned combat veteran and knew when it was time to withdraw. "Listen Mike, I'm not trying interfere, I'm just trying to give you something to think about."

"Yea, thanks Mel, I appreciate that," Mike responded, dropping his head despondently, the air let out of his balloon. Heavily, as if carrying a half dozen Mjolnir suits, he walked from the room, forgetting the happiness he'd had when he'd entered it.

Melanie felt bad about the way she was acting. She knew Mike's story and desperately wanted him to be happy. The reconnection had reinforced that idea but not in this way and not with that woman. Was she jealous? The thought irritated her but she was wise enough to know she needed to entertain it. Her pride wanted to dismiss it outright but she was honest enough to not do that. Yes, there was something there but she wasn't sure what. Her own feelings for Mike were yet undeveloped but she did know she was jealous for his happiness whether or not she thought she could do a better job.

She almost called out to Mike as he walked away with shoulders slumped in dejection.

Almost.

Melanie knew she had to sort her feelings out for Mike because things were getting complicated beyond what she'd wanted.

While Mike struggled Natalia was filled with such joy she could practically dance. Their meeting had not accomplished all she would have liked but there was definite movement and by the end Mike had been tender and attentive towards her. As she went about her business the rest of the morning she began to think incessantly about him to the point where she just wanted to see him again. They didn't need to talk; she just wanted to see him.

Initially the increasingly focused woman dismissed the idea since he was prepping for a two-day exercise but then her fixation grew to seeking to find a pretense for why to visit his training area. There was no excuse for her to see Mike but if they just so happened to 'bump into' each other, what was the harm in that?

But how?

Then it came to her, as if a gift from the divine.

She was on an inspection tour of production facilities on behalf on ONI. She would go and visit the unit's commanding officer and make a 'courtesy call' to introduce herself and if Mike wondered why she was there, well, she could say that was part of her duty. Sure, it was a bit of a stretch but it should work. Besides, he would likely be happy to see her.

It took the motivated woman only a couple of minutes to find out the name of the officer in charge was a colonel by the name of Ackerson. That didn't really matter to the focused woman, she now had her mission.

Natalia decided to go late afternoon, which would still be considered operating hours, but a time likely Mike would be around. Her excitement grew and she practically floated up to the guard hut at the training area and presented her credentials along with the request to speak to the commanding officer. She'd been there before so entry was easy.

Natalia was ushered into the commander of the Special Operations training unit's office by an ODST corporal who then left her with the brown haired colonel.

 _Good,_ Natalia thought to herself, _hopefully he'll let me show my way out._ Despite her agenda the observant woman could see the slender officer was eyeing her suspiciously, putting her on her guard.

"So, what do we owe the honor of your visit, lieutenant-commander?" Ackerson asked politely but his dark eyes boring into her.

"Well, sir," Natalia gulped involuntarily nervously, "I'm doing an inspection tour of production facilities on behalf of Admiral Parangosky. I was in town so wanted to introduce myself."

"I see."

Natalia waited for Ackerson to expand but he didn't. His lips tightened and he remained silent. "Well…I, uhm, thought it was a courtesy to stop into this military facility and introduce myself while I'm here." _That was so lame_ , Tali, she chided herself, _you sound like an idiot._

Ackerson breathed heavily, his nostrils flaring. Pursing his lips he responded. "Okay, that's great. I hope your tour goes well."

The conversation was short and awkward but ultimately Natalia didn't care. She wasn't here to impress James Ackerson or build political connections; she was here to see Mike. When the unit's commanding officer asked if she could show herself out without escort Natalia was overjoyed and practically leapt out of the seat she'd been sitting in.

Ackerson watched the ONI officer leave and wrung his hands in dismay. She'd brazenly announced she worked for Parangosky and her scope of operations meant she had absolutely no reason for calling on him. That could only mean one thing- the admiral knew about his new project. He'd be more vigilant about what type of information he posted since the officer was smart enough to know she'd find it. Despite his initial shock this actually proved advantageous to him.

"What has that idiotic girl done?"

Back at the Hive on Earth, Admiral Parangosky was furious at what Natalia's actions and veritably breathed fire in response.

Captain Osman was smart enough to stay silent but kept an extra step of separation from the dangerous woman as a precaution.

Parangosky regained her calm quickly but was still seething. "Very well Princess Natalia. You want to screw up your screw ups, well, we'll see what happens when you need some help."

The admiral still considered the troubled woman an incendiary device ready to go off so she would make her pay for messing with the perfect plan somehow and some way. There was a certain amount of mathematical certainty to it.

Natalia was oblivious to all the politics going on around her. She was taking a circuitous route to the exit. She was rewarded by the sound of voices down the hallway she was travelling coming from a room at the end of the hall. They were a mixture of female and male and it was obvious they were Spartans. This was it, she thought. There would be a crowd likely but things would go different. She'd say hello and just keep going and see if he came after her. Regardless, she'd see him. Her heart beat in anticipation and even rehearsed a couple of witty lines. She entered into an open room and ran right into Melanie.


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

 **October 15, 2552, 1625 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

What are you doing here?" Melanie asked, unbridled hostility lacing every word.

Natalia froze. This was not what she'd expected. Mike was not in the room, just the attractive Spartan and two younger ones. "I…uhm…I'm, I mean, I'm here to visit with the CO."

"Fine." Melanie's voice was cool but her deep blue eyes flashed red hot.

"Is Lieutenant Commander Mike around?" Natalia blurted out, instantly regretting the question.

For some reason that really bothered Melanie. Of course that was the reason she was here. It wasn't to see Colonel Ackerson; it was to connect with Mike. And she was in the position to do that.

Privilege.

And it enraged the seasoned veteran. "No, I don't know where he is," Melanie replied briskly. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, well, I just thought if I was here I'd say hello, that's all."

The smug little smile on the billionaire daughter's face increased Melanie's agitation tenfold. It wasn't that the smug chit was pleased, she had no clue what was going on with Mike. Melanie wasn't sure if she wanted anything more with him or not but she was certain she didn't want this privileged chick to have him.

Natalia turned to walk out of the room without saying anything else.

Melanie was going to let her and move on but she was already in a sour mood so instead decided to speak her mind. "Oh, you just 'happened' to drop in and you just 'thought' you'd say hello if you were here. How special."

Natalia was taken aback by the sarcastic and directed comment, initially drawing away from the larger Spartan. But another part of her had her stand her ground. She was, after all, a boxing champion so instead fought back. "Glad you think so. That's what real friends do. It's called being polite."

That caused a spontaneous snort from the beefy male Spartan in the room.

"Is that what you call it? Wow, how thoughtful," Melanie shot back sarcastically. "From my perspective it seems like someone walking around with their head up their ass unaware of the reality of the world around them. Privilege sure looks good."

"Oh, and you're so worldly? You talk of privilege?" Natalia countered, thrusting her chin out. "You walk around in your little bubble world here while the rest of the galaxy goes on living, trying to carry on despite the destruction going on around them."

That really grinded Melanie. "How dare you talk to me about being in a bubble!" Her voice raised and she stepped forward menacingly. "It's our sacrifices that allow you keep your life going on."

"Yes, and martyrdom is so attractive." Natalia stood her ground despite being two inches shorter, all her recent frustration being channelled into this moment.

"Yea, and so is throwing yourself at anyone who'll give you what you want."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Natalia retorted

"I know who you are and what you are," Melanie shot back.

"You know nothing about me," the billionaire's daughter responded, cheeks reddening in embarrassment.

"Really?" Melanie pressed in, knowing she'd landed a heavy blow. "I know enough to know you'd destroy Mike like you have so many others. He deserves better than that."

If the Spartan had punched Natalia in the stomach it would have hurt less. Blind rage at the accusation built and she felt her fists cock.

"That's enough! This has to stop."

The quiet female voice broke the tension of the moment and both women looked over at Maia who'd been observing the altercation the whole time. The look of disappointment on the teenage Spartan's face brought the two near-combatants back to reality.

"I'm sorry." Natalia apologized almost automatically, embarrassment filling her. She then took a mental step back and realized how this would have looked. She also finally realized that this woman before her likely had feelings for Mike too. She couldn't fault her for that. Then the faces of Noble Team came to mind and a flood of humiliation for what she said built up until she felt she could retch. "I meant no disrespect to what the Spartans have sacrificed. That's not where I was going but I was out of hand and I apologize. You guys are holding so much together for us. I'm really sorry for what I said."

Melanie could see the sincerity in the woman before her and it made her hate her more. But she knew she needed to respond but such words were not a strong suit. "Yea, I was out of line. I apologize."

"Good, now let's put this aside and move on, okay?" Maia asked sensibly.

Natalia nodded her head in agreement, averting eye contact. Saying nothing and with head lowered she slunk out of the room and headed for the exit as fast as she could.

Melanie stood transfixed, shocked at the depth of emotion she'd experienced during the exchange and disappointed at her own inability to control them. She certainly had something to think about.

Matt and Maia shuffled awkwardly out of the room to allow the Whisper some time for herself but Melanie did hear Matt say as they left, "why'd you stop it? Things were just starting to get good."

Only minutes later, and just missing Natalia, Mike sought out Matt and Maia. He'd tasked them to work on the load-out for the next day's major exercise so checked in with them before standing down for the night. The Lone Wolf was in an unsettled mood so somewhat distracted as he reviewed the kit manifest for the mission to come. It took him a few minutes but something didn't seem right with the two teenage Spartans. He couldn't put his finger on it but they seemed a bit off.

"What's up?" Mike asked, finally wanting to get to the bottom of why the task was still not fulfilled.

Maia said nothing, avoiding eye contact.

Her beefy team mate had no such reservation.

"Your lady friend got a chance to get to know Whisper a bit better a little while ago," Matt piped up, a leering grin filling his hard face.

"What do you mean by that?" Mike asked in surprise, the declaration catching him totally off guard.

"The woman you knew from Reach, sir, was here," Maia explained politely, trying to ignore Matt's obvious delight with the situation. "She and Melanie got into a bit of an argument."

She was here?" Mike asked incredulously.

"Yes sir," the female Spartan confirmed.

"And they got into an argument?" Mike asked a bit dumbly, still trying to process the news.

Maia nodded her head reluctantly.

"How do you know this?" Mike pressed in, hoping it was just some kind of mistake.

"Because we were there," Matt chimed in. "Got to see the whole thing."

 _Great_ , Mike thought angrily, _this is just great_. _Shit_. He had a sinking feeling about the catalyst but needed to know. "And what were they arguing about?"

"What do you think?" Matt responded, his grin growing, and then added as an afterthought, "Sir."

Yes, pretty obvious, Mike thought. So somehow Natalia had shown up at the training center and had a run in with Melanie. And he'd been unaware of the whole thing. Just when he thought he had a grip on things this showed he still had a long way to come. Anger began to spike into his embarrassment at what happened. Well, it was time to start dealing with this stuff head on.

"All right, well carry on with finishing the manifest, it looks good," Mike declared. "I've got a few things to take care of so I'll see you later." With that he turned and walked out of the supply area.

"I bet you do," Matt said lightly after he'd left the room.

Mike did physically pause halfway down the hallway and consider if he should do what he was thinking. There was already enough tension within the whole Special Ops training unit it didn't need any more but he also knew what he felt and so needed to clear the air. The thoughtful man also considered how much easier things were when he was a cold, killing machine. But those days were past and so he had to deal with this head on.

Mike searched around the complex until he found Melanie. Striding purposefully into the room she was in Melanie leaned back at the aggressive posture the Lone Wolf entered with.

"Mel, I heard you and Natalia had a confrontation a little while ago," Mike opened pointedly.

"We did," Melanie confirmed, avoiding eye contact. She'd been caught in mid-thought about the exact incident and still hadn't come to grips with her own emotions or response. Mike's intrusion had thrown off her train of thought and caught her off guard.

"What was up with that?" Mike pressed in aggressively.

Melanie had still not sorted out the real reasons behind her anger at the privileged ONI officer, nor more importantly her feelings for Mike. So instead she defaulted back to an emotion she could handle effectively in the moment-anger. "Yea, well what was up with her just waltzing in here to meet the CO?" she shot back.

"How is that any of your business? Mike countered, relieved to hear Natalia seemed to have some reason for being there, though it seemed pretty thin. "Do you even know what her orders are?"

"Orders? As if she takes orders."

Mike looked at Melanie hard in response to the glib response and she had to confess, "I don't know. I just didn't like her being here."

"And so you had to confront her in front of my team members?" Mike leaned in, his granite grey eyes suddenly on fire.

 _So they're 'yours' are they?_ Melanie thought bitterly, _so much for the 'us'_. It seemed he thought of her as just a 'consultant'. That went down bitterly. "Hey, I wasn't the one here for no purpose," the hurt woman declared. "I have a job to do. But then some of us have to work for a living."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mike blasted back angrily.

"Oh, I'm not referring to you, Michael, you work very hard." Melanie's tone had shifted to a pleasant yet patronizing manner as the door to her heart was locked. "I'm referring to others with more privilege."

Mike caught the shift in tone and then realized how this must be sounding. Though confused about his own feelings he could see he'd hurt her and she was withdrawing back into a shell. He remembered seeing that happen years before and it had caused him pain then as it was now. _This is all so confusing_. He shook his head. "Listen Mel, I don't want to fight with you over this, okay? There's too much going on and besides we've just reconnected. I'm just trying to sort things out, okay?"

"You're just the same idealistic little boy from Onyx. When are you going to wake up and see how the world really works?" Melanie responded acerbically.

That comment stung Mike. He was hurt she'd bring their mutual past into this argument.

Melanie opened her mouth as if to say more but in the end stayed silent.

Mike looked at Melanie and while she didn't seem to be taking any joy in his discomfort she also wasn't doing anything to alleviate it. Suddenly feeling very weary he massaged his temples and then rubbed his eyes with his fingers. The Spartan commander had a major exercise the next day and was now totally distracted.

Melanie could see Mike's response and part of her felt bad for what she'd just said. She'd actually enjoyed the confrontation and making the rich, attractive woman squirm but her sharp rebuttal had hurt Mike she could see. This would give her pause for thought but not right now. Mike had talked in some of their conversations about starting to feel again. She'd not understood initially but now she did.

She was feeling all right.

The reflective female Spartan also figured out that likely it had been Natalia Misriah who'd helped unlock these feelings in her former teammate and friend. The thought made the competitive woman angrier. If this is what it meant to feel, she wasn't sure of the appeal but so be it.

Mike saw she wasn't going to say anything more and there was little point in continuing the conservation. She'd made her point and seemed to have no intention of retracting anything. "All right then," he set his jaw and eyes narrowing declared, "I'll address this issue. In the meantime I don't want you talking to her anymore. It's disruptive to the team. This needs to be our number one priority. Is that clear?"

Melanie could see the coldness shroud his eyes and consume his voice. Suddenly the equally confused woman realized her heart had not truly been locked away to this man and that she'd in fact gone too far.

"I said, is that clear?" Mike demanded.

"Yes," Melanie answered meekly. Before she could add anything more Mike stormed out of the room, leaving her to ponder a new emotion she was experiencing-regret.

Mike stomped to his quarters in a rage. Several facility support staff he passed scurried out of his way, catching the anger in the Spartan so not wanting to block his path. He was livid at Melanie for how she'd acted in front of the team members and furious at Natalia for being the catalyst. He was confused enough about his feelings but at least now he was crystal clear in the moment.

The angry commander of the Wolf Pack went directly to his quarters, picked up his communications device and aggressively punched in Natalia's number.

The woman saw his number come up and had a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Her confrontation with the aggressive female Spartan wasn't sitting right and the wise woman knew it wouldn't go over well with Mike. Then she thought maybe he doesn't know, maybe he just wants to talk.

There was only one way to find out

"Hi Mike. Good to hear from you," Natalia answered cheerfully.

"What were you doing here earlier today?" he demanded crossly.

He knew.

"What…what do you mean?" Natalia tried to delay as she furiously attempted to collect her thoughts.

"I heard you were here and you had a confrontation."

"Well, yes, but I was there to see your CO."

"About what?" the Lone Wolf pressed in.

"Okay, to be honest," Natalia confessed, "I was hoping to see you."

Mike paused to consider the response. She seemed sincere and without intended malice. He could see her intention and also that she was likely unaware of the negative impact. He sighed heavily as his anger bled away and was replaced by a crushing fatigue. "Oh Natalia."

"I'm sorry!" she responded, emotion growing in her voice. "I didn't mean to cause problems. I just thought I wanted to say hi."

Mike considered the response and measured his words. "I get that and it was nice of you to think of me but you just can't walk in on an operational setting and try to make a social call. I have things to do; everyone here has things to do. You coming like that without any reason makes it look like you have…" he allowed his voice to trail off, hesitating to make the statement.

But Natalia knew exactly what he was thinking and the implication cut to her core. "It makes me looked privileged," she finished his sentence, crushed that she had done the exact thing she'd always feared.

Maybe she was no better than a spoiled little rich girl.

"Mike, please, that was never on my mind," Natalia pleaded. "I just...I just wanted to see you."

"I know, you didn't think how it would look," Mike countered graciously, touched by her sentiments. Natalia fell silent and he knew from her silence this was hard for her. Yet he also knew she had to overcome that tendency. Since the issue was now raised, and each of their moods seemed shot anyway, he decided to address the issue Melanie had raised with him. "Natalia, there's something I need to ask you."

"Ask anything you want," she responded but with less conviction than it sounded.

"Okay, well I saw something about you getting into a fight in a nightclub back on Earth and you being arrested," Mike began.

 _Great, he knows about that_ Natalia thought. "Yes, that's true," she confessed. I got drunk and acted stupidly. I regret so much that happened, please believe me Mike."

"I do believe you Natalia, and I know people make mistakes, I've made lots of them myself. The point is, if you were arrested after something like that, how are you still operational and here?"

It was a fair question, asked without malice, and one that begged an answer. The problem was Natalia didn't want to confess the answer, especially to Mike yet she knew she had to. "I was released from custody and Admiral Parangosky sent me here because…because I was an embarrassment to her and ONI. But in reality I wanted to come here because I wanted to see you, so it actually worked out for me."

Mike knew she wasn't telling the whole story but he also could tell the confession of her standing with her dangerous commander would have been embarrassing. "Okay, makes sense," he let her off the hook, "and I'm glad you're here. Listen, I have my operation to get ready for so we'll talk again when I get back. Oh, and no more unauthorized visits, okay?" he added playfully.

Natalia knew he knew and yet he didn't challenge her on it. She couldn't help but love him even more. "For sure Mike," she confirmed with a bit of chuckle in her voice, "I learned my lesson. Have a good mission."

As Mike finished up the conversation and pondered the implications of what it meant back in the Wolfpack team quarters the day's events dominated the conversation.

"I'm telling you man, the Wolf has girl troubles and that's going to spell trouble for us," Matt went on again, as he'd been doing the whole evening.

"Come on Matt, the boss always comes through, you know that," Adam countered yet again. Each time he'd tried to change the conversation the belligerent Spartan had brought it back.

"Well, I know which one I'd pick if I were him," Matt doggedly stayed on the topic.

"Yea, which one is that?" Alissa inserted herself into the conversation, her own anger growing. "The rich girl?"

"Of course, is there any other option?"

"Yea, well Mel is one of us. If they have feelings for each other than they shouldn't have some spoiled snot sticking her nose into it. That chick's lucky I wasn't there," Alissa added fiercely. "I would have sorted her out."

"There's nothing to sort out," Maia entered the conversation quietly. "This is Mike's business and we shouldn't get distracted by it."

"His business is our lives," Matt shot back. "And if his head's not in the game then it's our butts on the line."

"Trust him; he'll get this sorted out. It's been like two days, just relax," Maia held her ground, trying to redirect her explosive teammate.

Adam again had lost the initiative in the conversation and had been effectively pushed out. The insecure teen fell into a funk.

Maia could see her friend and teammate grow silent and fall out of the conversation that now Terrell had joined. She knew him well enough that this meant he was withdrawing into his insecurity. The realization pained the quiet teen who felt things deeply though didn't show it.

Maia's calm exterior façade hid a sensitivity of spirit and depth of thought the others didn't know about. Hers was not the passion of an Alissa who wore her heart on her sleeve but rather a reflective insight that caused her to see a lot of what was going on. She had little memory of her family, which was unusual since she generally had excellent recollection. The quiet teen did remember her home town of New Mombasa and that could always bring a slight smile of remembrance. But not her family. No, that had been pushed deeper to a place she never went. Her training and augmentation as a Spartan was something she viewed more clinically, almost like a necessary evil, but since then her teammates had become her family. Adam was a like a brother to her and so she watched out for him as a good sibling would.

Maia liked Mike and had thrived under his leadership but could see the danger of the conflict within him over these two women. To her nothing good would come of it so that was part of the reason she never formed anything other than a platonic attachment to anyone. But then what chance did she have as a Spartan, she reminded herself.

The squabbling over their commander continued for the team and some like Matt and Terrell saw it as a good-natured distraction before a mission. The always-competitive Alissa treated it as another challenge to win while Adam and Maia viewed it as a potential problem to not only their training but combat effectiveness. Regardless, this was a team not focused on the task at hand.

The next morning Mike was still in a fog from the previous day's drama. He'd barely slept that night, his mind racing. Not only was his conversation with Melanie not sitting right with him but the confrontation between her and Natalia was all over the training center. He was irritated with both of them for the way they'd acted. Melanie had withdrawn into a protective shell and hadn't even come out to see the team as it prepared to move out. While things had smoothed over with Natalia there were still elements of her visit to their base and also the fight on Earth that disturbed him. Each the Lone Wolf left to their own devices, he didn't have the time or patience right now to deal with that.

"Sir?"

Mike realized someone was talking to him. Giving his head a quick shake to refocus he saw that Adam was trying to talk to him.

"Pardon?" he asked a bit sheepishly as he tried to refocus.

"I said, is there any last minutes changes to the load out? We're getting ready to mount up," his 2ic obviously repeated himself. Rather than being irritated Adam seemed concerned though by the apparent lack of concentration from the leader of the Wolf Pack.

"No, that's fine Adam, we'll go with what we got," Mike responded without any real thought.

"Understood. You okay, sir?" Adam asked, concern obvious.

"Yea, I'm good," Mike deflected. "I'll meet you at the Pelican."

In truth Mike wasn't good and Adam knew it. This concerned the teenage Spartan and for good reason. They were about to depart on a now three day exercise. It had been on the training schedule as two but then a third day had been added by Colonel Ackerson as a curve ball. They had been already going out with minimum ammunition and food while facing off against the full complement of the ODST training detail and there was no increase in any supplies other than water. This was going to be by far their most significant challenge.

The objectives for Team Wolfpack were aggressive and the timeline allowed for little flexibility. In many ways they were being set up to run a gauntlet to test not only their resourcefulness but also resilience. To have a distracted team leader was not a good way to be going into it.

Mike could see Adam's concern and knew it was well founded. He too was concerned but just couldn't shake the fog he was in. He resolved to sort these things out when he came back.


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

 **October 17, 2552, 1430 Hours, Seminal Forest, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The exercise was already not going well. The Wolfpack had walked into a cleverly-laid ambush nearly right away requiring an aggressive fighting withdrawal forcing them to expend more of their ammunition then they'd wanted. So right away they'd lost the initiative.

For this exercise motion trackers were turned off with meant both sides were fighting blind. The team members were happy for Melanie's stealth lessons because using them instinctively they'd been able to break contact with the hard-charging ODST's and come together.

So now the Spartans were trying to get things back on track. Unfortunately tempers were already short and distractions high. Operating out of the densely treed Seminal Forest area of the Seven Hills region which spanned kilometres there were few sight lines or room to maneuver. Everything was close quarters which meant intense concentration was necessary.

This was going to be a long three days.

The remainder of the first day seemed to consist of the Wolfpack attempting to gain separation on the ODST's who were eagerly exploiting the Spartan's disorganization to settle some scores. For the past few weeks the teenage Spartans had bested the more seasoned Helljumpers and they'd not liked it. But finally, as night began to fall, the smaller Spartan team seemed to have finally broken contact so could stop and regroup.

"Man, that sucked," Matt stormed, as he flopped down on the ground to rest.

"You're telling me," Terrell agreed, nursing a nasty shoulder welt from a stun round.

"Yea, like those guys were on us right off the Pelicans," an angry Alissa joined in the conversation. "Like, they must have known where we were for that to happen."

"No, they just made a lucky guess and seized the initiative," Adam countered, wanting to get things back on track. "We were just too slow to start moving."

"That wasn't our fault," Matt looked accusingly at his teammate.

"No, those ODST's cheated. They probably used their motion trackers to hone in on us. This is not fair," Alissa whined. "We're outnumbered, have little ammo and supplies…we don't have a chance to win!"

"Welcome to war," Mike interjected quietly, entering the conversation.

Maia had been on guard duty but not too far away to miss the interaction with her teammates. The quiet, more reflective Spartan was glad she was set apart so she wouldn't be sucked into the vortex. She'd watched Mike during the exchange and could see he was distracted which didn't sit well with her.

"Listen, do you think when we're out in the fight the odds are going to be even? Do you like there'll be regular supply drops? You're Spartans this is our reality," Mike explained, voice rising with unchecked emotion. "Overwhelming odds and always limited resources. So you better suck it up, grow up and get used to this reality."

Silence fell over the group. Though true it wasn't a helpful comment for the teenagers who were struggling with the day's setbacks.

"Well it still sucks," Matt responded belligerently, before adding, "sir."

Matt had been fighting for as long as he could remember. As the youngest of six boys his older, bigger brothers had made him the butt of jokes and had taken from him whatever they'd wanted. Then his father had died when he was ten and the family had to move from the farm to a large city in New Llanelli where he'd been picked on in his new school by those who found the big farm kid a target.

Those who tried found it was easier said than done.

But Matt had also been exposed to the world of privilege in his new school, those who had money and therefore opportunity versus him who had nothing. He was not unambitious, neither was he unintelligent nor hardworking. It just seemed the system was stacked against him.

He'd been caught after having beaten up and robbed three older teenagers who'd tried the same thing on him; it was survival of the fittest in his books. Matt was facing juvenile detention, which angered him due to the perceived injustice, when a Marine officer in a crisp uniform walked into the jail and sought him out. The sense of prestige and steel-hard eyes that caused others to move out of the Marine's path resonated with the troubled teen looking for respect. So when the officer came directly to him with an offer to join the UNSC he jumped at it. He didn't even tell his mother until he was on the transport off the farming planet. He was ready for a new life.

The tough teen had thrived in the training environment of Camp Currahee on Onyx but had developed a chip on his shoulder so anytime someone seemed to be promoted and recognized ahead of him he'd burned with jealousy.

And now here he was second to an insecure Adam and being led by an officer who was distracted by having two beautiful women interested in him. The sense of injustice burned in him like an inferno.

No, this exercise just seemed to be going from bad to worse.

The next day a steady rain began to fall which made observation difficult since a curtain of mist hung throughout the forest. By midday everyone was soaked through which didn't help an already sour mood for the Wolfpack. They tried to take the initiative but nothing seemed to be working. Mike's frustration grew at the slow response time of his teenage team members. He'd gotten used in the short time he'd been with Noble Team to their instantaneous reactions which they'd then been able to exploit. But now there were no such instinctive moves but rather deliberate responses that left them behind. Twice he'd thought they had the chance to catch small parties of probing ODSTs who were on the hunt but each time they were unable to maneuver into a proper position to attack so allowed them to slip away.

But if Mike was honest, which he'd been avoiding also for the day, he'd have to confess his own reaction time had been slowed. Try as he might to concentrate his mind kept drifting back to the dilemma he faced with Natalia and Melanie. He was looking for a solution, like he was for this exercise, but nothing seemed to be coming.

 _Focus Mike,_ he chided himself.

The old Lone Wolf instinct began to tug at him. A small voice in the back of his head was telling him to go it alone, that he himself could go out in this kind of weather and get the job done. He'd executed such tasks easily dozens of times over the years.

But he was part of a team.

No, he was leading a team. He liked the growing sense of family they had, as he had with Noble Team. He genuinely liked the teenage Spartans and wanted to see them not only succeed but live through this bloody war. But the weight of leadership sat heavy on his shoulders. He thought of Commander Carter and the constant fatigue that etched his face. At first Mike had thought it weakness but now he knew it was the constant burden of command in impossible situations. When he looked in the mirror in his quarters he could see the same lines starting to develop on his own face. The cost was high but the reward of being in family even greater. They shared a common bond and were growing together not only as a lethal force but also as a group that could count on each other and in the craziness of the world around them that counted for a lot. No, he'd stay with them, despite his instincts and figure out how to win.

The second day ended in a frustrating stalemate of inaction and seeming failure. Mike's good thoughts melted away in the rain of the day and he found himself pulling away from the team. A plan to regain the initiative began to form and so early in the morning he pulled the Wolfpack from their lay-up point to a new position. The others didn't question the movement, happy to be doing something after the aggravating previous day. Wet in their BDUs due to the rain and feeling the effects of the lack of food and movement, anything was preferable to what they'd experienced thus far.

Thankfully the rain stopped as they move to where Mike had determined to initiate their plan after a careful map reconnaissance.

The others quietly circled up around him, eager to regain the initiative.

"Here's the plan, we lay up in a solid defensive position here along this ridge line," Mike declared, pointing to the map. "It's the last day and the ODSTs will be hungry to get at us after yesterday."

"So we wait for them?" Adam asked, getting the sense this was not all to the plan.

"That sounds kind of passive," Matt added with a note of irritation.

"You wait for them," Mike emphasized, I'll go out and hunt them. If it works, I'll draw them into your field of fire."

There was silence from the team as they processed what their commander had just said.

"You're using us as bait," Maia declared quietly.

Mike pushed a growing guilt down. "I'm making sure we win," he countered. "I can exploit opportunities we can't. You'll be the anchor." Mike paused but avoided eye contact. "Those are my orders. Adam, form a defensive position, I'll go out hunter-killer," he stated.

"And what are we supposed to do, sir, while you do that?" Matt asked, unhappy with the perceived passive role.

"You wait here and I'll draw as many in for you to take out as I can from the remnant."

Matt sighed heavily at the role but said nothing as Mike gave him a hard glare.

"We hold this position until I return and reposition," Mike reiterated for emphasis. "Okay, let's go hunting." The older Spartan left without opportunity for questions or dialogue into the grey-black of pre-dawn.

"So much for 'we'," Matt stated derisively. "Long live the Lone Wolf."

Adam wasn't much happier but knew they had a job to do so began to assess the position they were to occupy. Looking through his night optics he could see why Mike chose it. They were on a treed ridge line with a sharp drop off with jagged rock of about forty meters. There was also a natural approach to the crest of the ridge that could act as a funnel while the rocks and trees on the crest provided natural cover.

That was the good part.

The bad part was it had a long, forested approach which made for a pretty large front to cover with only five troops.

Adam looked around, feeling the pressure to set the team immediately. The teenage 2ic had time. Mike had just left and it was still dark yet he wanted to seem decisive despite his hesitation. The thoughtful Spartan had to confess there was a logic to Mike's plan and the seasoned combat veteran had a lot of experience over the rest, but the idea sill didn't sit right. They were supposed to be a team, in this together, and so shouldn't split like that. He knew their commander was distracted by his personal issues and that didn't help the confidence level but still, he had to do what he had to do.

Adam took a deep breath and set the team's defensive position spread out in a semi-circle facing the approach and anchored on the ridge line. He looked at his teammates who were not moving and with a note of panic in his voice asked, "What's going on? Why aren't you moving?"

"What about covering the actual ridge?" Maia asked tentatively, not wanting to sound unsupportive. "Aren't we leaving ourselves a bit exposed?"

Adam had to confess he hadn't thought of that but seeing the team staring at him he felt the need to be confident and assertive. "Yes, I can see your point, Maia. I'm confident the ridge will be a natural barrier that'll anchor our line. Besides, we have more approach ground to cover than people."

"Couldn't one of us cover our arc and watch the rear as well?" Maia answered causing several others to nod in agreement.

"You can't do both," Adam countered doggedly, frustration growing. "If you're focused on two spots you're focused on nothing. This comes down to making choices."

"Some choice," Matt muttered under his breath.

"That's the tough part of being in command," Adam stated angrily, yet his voice betrayed hurt at the questioning.

"Well okay Admiral Hood," Matt shot back derisively.

"Shut up and get into position," Adam growled.

Sullenly the team moved into their assigned spots as dawn began to approach.

For several frustrating hours the teens of the Wolf Pack waited impatiently for something to happen. Night had given way to dawn which had ushered in the morning. The rain had stopped but with the ground totally saturated a thin, humid fog rose up making visibility tricky. Insects crept out of the morning dew to become an annoyance to the Spartans who began to think this was just another exercise in futility.

A staccato sound of gunfire in the distance disrupted the early morning quiet showing this was far from peaceful. As quickly as it came it died returning the day to quietness but the Wolf Pack knew things were afoot. Each began to peer eagerly into the morning fog, eyes straining, looking for opportunity.

It didn't take long for their vigilance to be rewarded.

"Stand too, movement to the front," Adam whispered into his comms as he caught the glimpse of a shadowy figure moving parallel to the team's position.

"Seen, standing by," Terrell answered, catching that one and another ODST in the distance coming across their position.

The others tensed, removing the safeties from their weapons, waiting for the Helljumpers creeping towards their position to move into the fields of fire. Yet, annoyingly, they didn't come any closer, seeming to move back and forth out of the team's effective range

While the seeming cat-and-mouse continued Mike was satisfied. He'd taken out a small recon party and was already repositioning to where he expected others to respond to the sound of gunfire. It felt good to be unshackled and free to roam and fight as he chose. Memories of past exercises flooded in and he was pleased the old fluidity of movement that had kept him alive all these years was back. He'd seamlessly moved back to the role of Lone Wolf. It was so simple and uncomplicated. There was only the enemy to his front, nothing more to distract him. There was no responsibility for others, no relationships, he was free.

Yet in another way he wasn't. Mike began to realize that his isolation from others was a prison of another sort. To live without relationship, without community and without responsibility was not living at all, it was merely existing. As frustrating as the teens of the Wolf Pack could be and he didn't even want to think of Natalia and Melanie, he'd come out of his shell and was experiencing life. Yes, at times it was filled with bitter disappointment but at others it was filled with what felt like light and music. No, he would not go back into that place of isolation; he would seize the day, seize the opportunities, and live in the light and music of community.

Yet here he was alone, having abandoned his team. Guilt welled up; overwhelming the frustration and anger he'd carried into the day. He'd been wrong to go out on his own and he needed to fix that.

Then a cold chill ran down Mike's spine. It was too quiet. By now there should have been some response. This could only mean one thing. Then he heard the sound of gunfire coming from the position he'd left his team in.

"Shit! They're behind us!" Matt yelled as a volley of fire erupted from the ridge line catching the Wolf Pack off guard and out of position.

"They've come over the ridge," Alissa confirmed, her voice tense.

At the same time the ODST's who'd been demonstrating to their front charged in.

The Spartans were caught in a pincer movement. ODSTs were crawling over the ridge and taking up positions within the rocks dotting the crest while the others were coming in using the trees for cover. They were skillfully penetrating the Wolf's Pack line and isolating each position to ensure there was no mutual support.

They'd been caught off guard.

Adam frantically looked around and tried to figure out a solution. Instinctively he felt if Mike were there he'd be able to counter this move but their leader wasn't, the indecisive teen was and he'd failed them through his misguided confidence the ridge would protect them. It was obvious that a large number of ODSTs had been able to scale the rock face to come up to their rear. They'd lost and it was his fault. The teen's misery was temporarily put to rest when he was hit by a flurry of stun rounds that caused him to lose consciousness.

Mike was too late. He could see in the distance the ODSTs had captured all of his team. He wasn't sure how it had happened but that was no longer the point. They were all disarmed and kneeling or lying in a circle, some seemingly unconscious. Bitter remorse coursed through his body as condemnation that he'd left the still-inexperienced teens on their own so he could go it alone overwhelmed him. The Helljumpers were in a good position and they were looking for him. He scanned the area trying to formulate a plan when he saw both Adam and Maia stir back into consciousness.

The ODSTs were in a jubilant mood having not only defeated the Spartans but also being able to capture them entirely other than their leader. The tension and rivalry of the last month got the better of some who began to taunt their subdued rivals only angering the already frustrated Spartans.

Adam got to his feet groggily and was accosted by a pair of Helljumpers who jostled him around and mocked his staggering movements.

As a helmetless Maia got to her hands and knees another ODST decided to join in the mix but rather than jostle or taunt her he sharply kicked her in the head as she started to get up stunning the woman, then savaged followed up with another kick to the ribs which sent her crumpling to the ground.

"You bastard!" Matt snarled and breaking away from the grip of the pair of captors holding him. The aggressive teen leapt at the surprised Helljumper, landing a crushing punch to his jaw that sent the ODST down.

The other members of the Wolf Pack seized the opportunity of the shocked moment to break free. Led by Alissa she kneed the closest ODST in the groin. All restraint came off as the groups attacked each other.

All hell broke loose.

Despite being outnumbered the augmented Spartans had a strength and also ability to resist pain that evened the odds with the aggressive ODSTs.

Mike saw all this transpire from a distance and was shocked into inaction at what he observed. He hesitated for a few moments and then went charging towards the fray to try to stop what was happening.

The noise of the general melee was drowned out by the sound of an inbound Falcon. The helicopter flared to land but a loudspeaker boomed with Gunny MacGregor's voice. "Stand down! All of you, stand down dammit!"

But the floodgate had been opened and discipline was gone.

The Falcon landed as Mike came onto the scene trying to restore order. MacGregor ignored his commander's efforts and charged out along with the crew members to break up the fight. With all working to restore order the melee finally broke up.

Hands on hips MacGregor looked at Mike with contempt in his eyes and the Spartan felt nothing but shame. The leader of the Wolf Pack already was chastising himself but the look only furthered his sense of condemnation.

Maia and the ODST punched by Matt were still down as the rest of the Helljumpers started to come in including a medic who began treatment.

"This exercise is over!" MacGregor declared. "Pelicans are on the way to pick all of ye up. Until then, get out of my sight, ye disgust me."

The collected combatants looked at their training NCO for further instructions but he spat on the ground and walked back to the Falcon he'd arrived on.

Heads hanging low, both groups separated and went away from the scene which was now a symbol of shame, the only sound being that of inbound Pelicans coming to pick them up.

The ride back to base was quiet with no one speaking. Maia had been put into MacGregor's Falcon to be taken back faster due to her head injury. The ODST who'd savagely kicked her had regained consciousness to find out he was being charged with excessive force by the gunnery sergeant.

Tired and hungry, the Wolf Pack went to the galley to get food while Mike instead departed immediately to the infirmary to check on Maia,

The team's leader checked in with the doctor in charge and found out the teen Spartan had a concussion so would be out of commission for likely around a week. A combination of anger and guilt surged through him at the news. He then went to see her, finding Maia lying still in a bed but staring up at the ceiling.

"How are you doing?" Mike asked, feigning cheerfulness as he watched his teammate stretched out miserably on the bed, her darker features contrasting on the crisp white sheets.

"It hurts," she replied softly.

"Well, the doc says you'll be up and about in a couple of days."

"What happened?" Maia asked quietly.

"You were injured in the melee."

"No, I mean, what happened?" the thoughtful teen restated.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked in return, caught off guard by the question.

"You never came," Maia declared, the hurt in her voice stronger than the physical pain on her face. "You abandoned us."

"No, that's not it," Mike countered quickly, "I just got caught out of position and was late arriving back. You'd already been overrun; there was nothing I could do." Guilt screamed his failure at him.

"But you never came…," Maia's voice drifted off as she fell into a drug-induced sleep.

Mike sat with her for a while, the acid of guilt corroding his insides. Knowing he could stay there no longer he left to find an outlet for the collected frustration.

And he ran into Adam coming the other way.

"Adam, I want to talk to you," Mike ordered without greeting, pointing towards an empty classroom.

"I was going to see Maia. I thought our debrief was going to be at 0800 tomorrow," Adam answered, caught off guard and wary of the look in his commander's eyes.

"It is. I want to talk to you about what happened out there today."

Though Adam had served with Mike for only a short period of time he could already tell when the expressive Spartan had something on his mind and at this moment the teen could tell his commander was in a foul mood. "Okay sir, no problem," he answered moving into the room.

Mike followed and got right to the point. "Adam, this should never have happened. Your disposition of the team was weak. You should have never left the bluff uncovered."

"I realize that now, I screwed up," Adam confessed, averting his eyes from the penetrating gaze coming back at him. "But sir…"

"But what?" Mike growled back angrily.

"But you left us. I thought we were to be a team."

The Lone Wolf opened his mouth to retort, to declare Adam's troop placement had nothing to do with him being there or not, but the words caught in his throat. They were to be a team and he'd dropped that in his frustration and went back to his old ways. Yes, Adam had screwed up but it had been his own distraction that had led to it. He'd left the still-growing teen to fend for himself, with no support or help. Mike realized his was the greater error.

"Dismissed, Adam," was all Mike could say though part of him screamed to share the blame. But his pride and hurt wouldn't allow it. Later on he would explain things but not now.

Adam looked at Mike for a moment, as if there was more he wanted to say, or perhaps hear from his commander, but the older Spartan was tight lipped. Head hanging in shame, the discouraged teen left the room, the sting of reprimand and self-chastisement weighing heavily on him.

Mike knew he had to make it right, to explain, so determined to go after Adam and talk this through. He needed to make this right and right now.

Leaving the room though he ran into Melanie who was leaning against the wall opposite the doorway. The look on her face showed she was none too pleased with him.

"Nice job, Wolf," Melanie commented dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mike shot back, in no mood for any sarcasm.

"You're blaming Adam for this? I've read the after-action report and watched the video," the woman declared accusingly, her piercing blue eyes flaring with passion.

"If Adam had set up in a better position it all would have worked out," Mike tried to defend himself, caught off guard that already she knew what had gone down in the field.

"If you hadn't left them to go out on your own, you mean," Melanie corrected, her words thick with condemnation.

The comment from his friend stung Mike deeply. It wasn't the truth of the statement, he knew it himself, it was that his friend would kick him while he was down. "You weren't there, you didn't know the situation," Mike shot back, the hurt etching his words.

"Whatever," Melanie waved his excuse off derisively.

The crush of the exhaustion and condemnation finally caught up with Mike. Shoulder's sagging and face showing disappointment he said, "I thought…I thought you..," he couldn't get the words out.

"You thought what?" Melanie shot back, a bit harder than she'd intended.

"Forget it," Mike answered through tight lips, knowing there was no sympathy to be had here.

Without saying another word or making eye contact Mike turned and walked out of the room. Melanie realized too late she'd gone too far. Though her statement was technically correct it had been delivered with the intention to wound and it had. Melanie was still angry about Mike and Natalia, angrier even then she'd admit. Her feelings all around this were confused and so she'd taken it out on one who'd been a friend for years.

But Melanie was also angry she'd not been allowed to go out with the team and help but she realized she was there as training staff, she was not part of the Wolf Pack. But that wasn't Mike's fault or choice. She'd been on her own for so long she'd forgotten what it was like to be part of a team and her time the past month had stirred that desire in her anew. Melanie knew she had gone too far and needed to make it right with Mike but wasn't sure how.

Mike stormed down the hallway and to his quarters, any thought of seeing Adam and explaining what had happened long forgotten. He slammed the door so hard behind him the wall shook. The Spartan threw himself onto his bed but knew sleep would not come this night.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

 **October 19, 2552, 0835, "The Hive", HIGHCOM Facility Bravo-6, Sydney Australia, planet Earth**

"How sad, it appears as if Ackerson's little project is about to implode. That would be SUCH a tragedy," Margaret Parangosky declared ecstatically as she watched again the fight between the Spartans and the ODST's. "I do wonder when the rest of HIGHCOM needs to find out about this little debacle."

Serin Osman raised an inquisitive eyebrow but said nothing to her superior who was obviously enjoying how the situation was playing out.

"All for the good of the UNSC of course," the admiral added with a mocking smirk for the results of which she'd been watching from the previous day. "Black Box, I want to watch this over again."

"Really admiral? You humans get such perverse delight from the folly of your species." The AI appeared simultaneously in the simple form of a blue lit cube. Though without form the voice of the Smart Artificial Intelligence showed it was not impressed which caused a leer in return. "Very well, which one?"

"Oh, so many difficult choices," Parangosky showed no sense of remorse at the comment made by her personal AI, instead becoming more animated with delight. "Do I watch the melee on the ridge, or do I choose Spartan B-312 chewing out his 2ic unfairly?" She paused for a moment, as if making a monumental decision, and then the elderly officer snapped her fingers, "No, let's start with The Whisper nailing the Lone Wolf right after that. Then we can watch the others. I have a slow morning."

 **0845 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

James Ackerson waited for Mike to arrive for the debrief on the previous day's training exercise that had gone bad. That was pretty straight forward. The Spartans had screwed up and the ODSTs had taken advantage of it. Their excesses were of little concern to the combat veteran. The Spartans may be teenagers but they needed to get used to unfair treatment and bad circumstances. It was the nature of their mission to go where other's wouldn't or couldn't and get the job done.

 _Expendable soldiers_ , the commander thought to himself with a slight hint of regret. But then this was war and tough decisions had to be made. That's what the Spartans were for- to be the agents of tough choices and ultimately create a hedge around Earth. With Reach having fallen this became even more critical. No, this team needed to get up to speed and fast.

The group commander looked over the file of the exercise. Already he'd dismissed outright the charge from Gunny MacGregor against the ODST who'd kicked Maia. While she had a concussion she'd be better in a few days. He was surprised at MacGregor's response to the incident and hadn't realized the veteran had such a soft spot for the teens in his charge. He'd need to talk to the drill instructor about that and remind him of his role.

"Sir, reporting for the debrief."

Mike had arrived so it was time to go over the exercise. Still, Ackerson couldn't help but think as the ruggedly handsome Spartan stood at attention before him of the brief meeting he'd had with Natalia Misriah. He'd heard the rumors about the precocious socialite and the Lone Wolf and so perhaps her being there had something to do with that. Certainly with the name Misriah she'd have the pull, he considered with a note of irritation.

But he also had to consider that she was here from ONI spying on what they were doing on behalf of Admiral Parangosky. He'd tried hard to bury the trail of information to what he was doing but the elderly senior officer had an annoying way of finding things out. That didn't sit well with him, leaving the troubled officer in an even worse mood.

And Mike stoically stood before him at attention.

"At east, lieutenant commander," Ackerson ordered. "I'll get right to the point. What happened out there? You went from highly efficient to, let's just say, highly inefficient in a pretty short period of time."

 _Here it goes,_ Mike thought to himself. _Nothing to it but to get this over with._ "Scenario went badly," the Spartan answered bluntly. "There were some errors in judgment made plus the ODST's got a bit out of hand. I think they took their frustrations of late out on the team. Its okay, Gunny MacGregor and I will get it sorted out."

"We're not talking about how the ODSTs acted here Spartan. I don't give a rip about what they did," the colonel declared. "I'm talking about how they clearly beat you at this stage of your training."

"They made a good call on coming up the back ridge," Mike confessed, trying to sound convincing but being equally irritated himself it had happened. "They're special ops and know how to handle themselves, not some draftees," he tried to point out. "They just got lucky sir."

"Lucky, my ass, Mike," Ackerson responded forcefully, leaning aggressively forward in his chair. "Sounds to me from your report that there was a bit more than some errors or luck."

"What do you mean, colonel?" Mike asked a bit testily, but standing his ground despite the sudden movement.

"I mean, are you sure Adam's up to the 2ic position?" Ackerson replied pointedly. "He just doesn't seem to be getting up to speed. I'm wondering if Matt might be a better choice."

Mike opened his mouth to answer but Ackerson cut him off with a wave. "I also don't know that I agree with your decision to split the team and go off like you did but Adam should have handled the situation more effectively. He's a good Spartan and a good team member but I don't think he has the stones to do the job." The colonel let his point sink in. "Now Matt, he's driven, aggressive and smart."

 _And I set Adam up to fail then chewed him out because I was embarrassed….maybe Matt should have my job_ , Mike thought, discouragement enveloping him like an octopus. _The kid deserves better than that, and this._ "He's still learning the ropes, sir, he'll get there," Mike defended the teen.

"I don't know that you have the time to invest," Ackerson countered.

"I have complete confidence in his abilities, colonel. He'll learn from this," Mike answered. _And I'll be sure to help him rather than let him figure all this out on his own like I had to_ , he thought to himself, the realization of what he'd been doing crashing down on him like a hammer.

"Hmmm," Ackerson paused, pursing his lips in disagreement but seeing the resolve in the team leader's eyes decided not to press it. "Well, we'll see. But I'm putting you both on notice, lieutenant-commander, that I'm expecting a lot more."

"Understood, sir," Mike answered but in his mind he'd already resolved to do things differently with Adam and prove to all, himself included, that the youth had it in him to be an effective leader.

The rest of the debrief went no better. Still, Ackerson's assessment was not unfair, despite being harsh, and Mike could not fault him for it. He'd allowed himself to get distracted and it had cost them. He vowed to not let that happen again. More importantly he'd also pledged to sort out his feelings one way or the other.

Fortunately for him the colonel revealed that their operational timetable had them not deploying until mid to late November so he had at least six weeks to get things in the squad and his personal life sorted out.

The remainder of the morning the Spartans had free time so mostly kept to themselves. Mike though used that as an opportunity to start to make things right.

First was a call to Natalia.

"Hey Mike! Great to hear from you," she greeted him cheerfully. "How did things go on your exercise?"

"Not so good," Mike responded heavily. "Listen, can we get together tonight? Say twenty hundred at the café we were at before?"

Natalia could tell Mike was upset but knew better than to press him. "Sure, I'd love that."

"Okay, thanks. Listen, I have to run, I've got some stuff to do," Mike lied, "I'll see you tonight."

"Sounds good, I can't wait to see you." Natalia was disappointed they weren't going to speak more but knew better than to press. She'd have her chance when they were together tonight.

Mike hung up, still in a state of confusion but at least the wheels were in motion and he had ten hours to sort his feelings out. _Sure, lots of time_ , he thought ruefully.

After lunch the team gathered at the outdoor range for some marksmanship training. The group was quiet until Matt spoke up.

"Heard the Wolf got a bit of a chewing out this morning from the colonel," he shared.

"Yea, well he probably deserved it," Alissa added, still in a sour mood and sore from the stun round wounds she'd taken.

Without Maia there to counter the conversation degenerated as Adam stayed quiet, miserable at his failure, in Mike's criticism of his actions and in general gloom of his leadership abilities.

Mike strode in purposefully and the conversation stopped though he caught the gist of what most of the team had been discussing.

"Range time, sir?" Terrell tried to bring things back on track.

"Eventually," Mike stated, "but first I want to talk to you guys. Take a knee."

They all squatted down and Mike uncharacteristically joined them. "Listen guys, I've let you down lately," he confessed, getting right to the point. "I've been distracted by some personal issues and that's spilled over to you. That's not fair and I apologize for that. I'm going to sort this out and we'll get back on track."

The teen Spartans all nodded their head in agreement, getting caught up in the sincerity of Mike's apology.

"You're all excellent and have come so far so fast," Mike continued, "it really is a privilege to lead you. I intend on ensuring I earn that right and don't take it for granted."

That even got a grin from Matt.

Then Mike turned to his second-in-command. "Adam, I was out of line when I reprimanded you last night," he confessed in front of the whole team. "I was angry and embarrassed by what happened. Yes, the disposition of the team was obviously incorrect," he acknowledged for the others, "but that's on me for not properly training you in these types of things. You're an excellent leader and I'm lucky to have you. I'm sorry for what I said and what happened."

"No problem sir," Adam answered, deeply touched that the proud senior Spartan would make such a confession in front of the whole team. Far from making him look weak Mike now seemed even more powerful. "It's not all on you. I screwed up," Adam confessed to the team. "Matt, you were right, and my pride and bad judgment got Maia put into the hospital. I'll learn from this and it won't happen again."

"It's okay, Adam," Alissa came over to the teen and put her arm on his shoulder. "We all could do a better job. We've allowed ourselves to become distracted and we need to grow up and start acting like Spartans. Wouldn't you agree, Matt?" she asked the combative team member with a glare.

"Yea, yea," Matt replied with a surly tone but he had a grin on his face, "are we going to keep this love-in going or are we going to go and shoot?"

The others laughed; the ice was broken, and for the moment they seemed to join together once more as a team.

The rest of the day went well for the Wolf Pack and Mike. The tension was gone and for the moment they seemed to be back on track. The absence of Maia was still a sore spot and while they did well on the range and in the simulators most knew they had to prove themselves anew in the field. Still, they had time and the Spartans began to feel again that they really could become something more than functional but indeed special.

Time would tell.

Mike changed the schedule to allow the teenaged Spartans an opportunity to enjoy a rare night off; still he left the base with a sense of trepidation to begin the process of sorting out his own personal feelings. The apology to his team and Adam had been surprisingly easy and he found their ease of interaction coming back but he knew what to come would not be nearly as easy. He had to sort out his feelings for Natalia and also Melanie but was determined to do so.

Natalia was waiting for him in the café, having picked a secluded corner table. If he'd thought he would be able to focus on the task of figuring out his feelings he was sorely mistaken. Natalia had come dressed to distract. She was out of uniform, wearing a tight black sweater that accentuated her features along with a short black leather jacket. She also had dark blue jeans on that hugged ever contour line of her legs and hips, set off by a pair of knee-high black leather boots. She wore light makeup but had accentuated her eyes, bringing the green out to a dazzling emerald. A whiff of perfume totally ensnared Mike. If he'd come to end the distraction this woman caused he'd sorely fallen further into that dark zone.

Natalia greeted him warmly and began some small talk while Mike settled in with his drink, trying to not fall into the intoxicating aura of the beautiful and charming woman. They had some idle conversation but then things became quiet as the small talk ran out and the reality of why they were together in this place began to silently scream out.

Mike sat quietly, looking down into his cup of coffee, totally unsure what to say, unsure of what he felt, but finding himself drawn anew into the sinkhole of his feelings for this woman that had ambushed him so effectively on Reach.

"Is everything okay?" Natalia asked, unable to stand any longer the silence, figuring it was time to get to the point.

"No, it's not. I've been distracted lately and it's not only affecting my performance but my teams as well," Mike confessed, still avoiding eye contact.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Natalia answered genuinely. Then, despite a growing fear she decided to start to address things between them head on rather than practicing avoidance so added, "Is it my fault?"

"I can't really blame you," Mike nodded his head and raised his eyes to meet hers, "it's on me since I'm the one who's allowed myself to be distracted. No, it's not you though you coming here was a surprise."

Natalia paused for a moment, considering what to do, then decided to let things fall where they may. "Is it the other Spartan?" she asked, holding her breath.

"I don't know," Mike sighed, genuinely confused in his feelings. "Maybe, maybe not. It's just so complicated. Tali, I have no experience with this stuff!" he exclaimed in frustration. "I've been a Spartan since I was 9 years old. Mel was there from the beginning. She went through what I did…suffered what I did. I thought she was dead and now she's alive."

"I see," Natalia could only say. The experienced woman knew where this was going, it was the gentle let down, the relegation to the 'friend zone'. She'd done it herself dozens of times but had never had it happen to her.

Surprisingly, Mike seemed to sense what she was feeling. Rather than go where Natalia thought he instead grabbed her hand tenderly causing her to look back at him wide-eyed.

"See here's the problem Tali, I felt something on Reach when we were together, something I've never experienced before."

"It was combat and you felt sorry for me," Natalia replied, in misery for how this was making her feel. The sensitive woman now felt for all those men who'd had genuine feelings for her and she'd surreptitiously relegated.

"No, it was more than that," Mike countered, squeezing her hand and sending a shock of feeling coursing through Natalia. "I know the difference. This was way more than that."

Natalia didn't want to dare believe, she'd come prepared for the worst, but now it seemed there might be more. "What are you saying, Mike?" she asked, wanting desperately to believe.

"I'm not sure," Mike answered, a puzzled look on his face. "But I do know I have feelings for you, strong feelings." He paused for a moment, as if measuring what he was going to say. "I tried to forget you when I got pulled out. I threw myself into my work, tried to convince myself what happened between us on Reach didn't happen or was nothing. But I couldn't shake it. And then you came back, you found me." He took a deep breath, audibly sucking in air. "I've never felt this way before so I don't know what this means or where it can go."

"Mike I love you."

The words had slipped out of Natalia's mouth and both looked at each other in horror for the implications of the three simple, yet complex, words.

"But how?" Mike responded, barely able to get the words out, his heart was pounding so hard it was in his mouth. "I'm nothing…you're a Misriah…I just don't get it. Why me? You could have anyone." She'd said the words on Reach when she'd thought he wasn't listening but he hadn't believed her, putting it down to the stress of combat. But this was bold, clear and in the open.

"Mike, you've given me so much," Natalia answered passionately, touched by his declaration, so now taking his hand in hers. The lid was off so the floodgate could open. She'd felt and known this since their time on Reach but had fought it at times. "You believed in me and gave me a chance when no one else would. You're strong, but kind, like no other man I've ever met." Then she added with a twinkle in her eye, "you're also handsome."

"I am?" Mike chuckled, which caused Natalia to laugh, making his heart sing. He'd never considered that possible. He knew she'd had strong feelings for him but thought they were situational. He didn't know what love was but knew the intensity of feelings that cascaded over him whenever he looked at this beautiful woman. It was more than her looks or physical appearance, though they drew him like a magnet, no, there was an innocence and compassion behind the sophisticated façade that drew him. And she was in love with him.

But what about Mel?

The thought hit him like a MAC round from an orbital platform. He knew he had feelings for Natalia but what about Melanie? Hers were deeper, more complex, but they were definitely there. Plus she was a Spartan like him, not a billionaire's daughter who likely wouldn't be too thrilled with his only daughter falling for a supersoldier who'd been physically and chemically altered.

Natalia could sense and see the shift. She'd felt the surge of joy in Mike and it had made her hope beyond hope. But that joy she'd observed had quickly escaped or something had chased it away. Was it the other woman? Perhaps. Was it the difference in their stations in life? Perhaps also. More likely a combination of the two. The woman so used to being in the seat of power experienced something else for the first time- the inability to control a situation. She seemed to be experiencing a lot of that lately.

And then, Natalia Misriah had a thought, or more accurately a thought came into her mind. It was a statement, an ancient one first coined in Earth's 20th century but still making the rounds today: _If you love something set it free_. _If it comes back it's yours. If not, it was never meant to be._ She knew she had to let Mike go despite the fact the thought sucked the very life out of her.

Natalia took a deep breath and fixed the man she loved with a sincere look. "Mike, you know how I feel but this is your choice. As desperately much as I'd like to do something, anything, to make you love me back, I can't and I won't. I respect and care for you too much to try to manipulate you. I know we come from different worlds and I don't care about that. I'd leave it all in a minute if you said you wanted me; that life means nothing to me anymore. You've opened up a world of possibility to me but I only want to share it with you. But it has to come from you."

Mike was floored by the open and honest declaration from the woman. He'd done some research on Natalia Misriah after Melanie's pronouncement and so knew how hard this must be for her.

He opened his mouth to speak but Natalia put her fingers over his lips to silence him. "No, think about it. I don't want you to respond out of pity or obligation. I've shared with you my true feelings. I know it's likely not fair considering everything you're going through right now, but I couldn't bear to leave you again without you knowing the truth. Think about it and talk when you're ready. I'll have to leave here in the next couple of days but you know how to contact me. There's no time limit on my love for you." She paused and gave him a small smile since her heart was breaking then continued, "Now, let's just have a pleasant evening together, okay?"

And it was. Mike was impressed by how easily Natalia could pivot from the pain of sharing her feelings to easy conversation. The pair talked as they'd never done before since the pressure of unstated feelings was gone. It was an entirely pleasant distraction from the pressures of life for the two of them.

Sleep didn't come easy that night for Mike. He had a mixture of feelings churning within yet despite the turmoil he realized he actually had a smile on his face at the thought of what he'd experienced. It was a curious idea long absent for the man which gave him much food for thought.

For Natalia, she'd hoped to not spend the evening alone yet her maturing personality realized that patience was needed in this circumstance. That was a character trait long absent in the ambitious woman and one she'd found an irritant and yet the depth of her feelings and esteem she held Mike in demanded no less. And then an idea hit her, or rather and idea left the confines of her heart. She was no longer a spoiled little rich girl. Natalia Misriah smiled without pretense for perhaps the first time in her life.

Mike woke with a start the following morning. He hadn't even realized he'd fallen asleep. Rolling over and getting out of bed he checked for messages, seeing the date was October 20th. As was his routine he went to the gym to work out and then to the mess for breakfast. Everything was automatic to him, these were things he did instinctively yet he felt an edge to everything, like he was waiting for something to happen. Shrugging he chalked that up to the time he'd had with Natalia the previous evening. Her pledge of love to him though shocking was sincere he felt and genuine. But what were his feelings? He'd lay awake for hours thinking about it. He couldn't deny he had strong feelings for her; that had been evident on Reach and beyond. Was it enough though? They were from vastly different stations and this was war. So she loved him and said she'd give everything up for him, but say he loved her back. What then? Would it make things better or worse? Would acknowledging them just make the longing harder, or would it give him something tangible to fight for? He wasn't sure.

Then there was Melanie. She'd been dead to him and he'd buried his feelings. Now not only was she alive but his ability to feel, to care, and dare he even believe, love had been released. Where did she fit into the picture? This was usually where he longed for the simplicity of life as the Lone Wolf but he knew he could no longer go there, he would no longer accept the purgatory of isolation. No, something deep he been awakened in him, he'd tried to supress it after Reach but he knew he couldn't, and now he no longer wanted to. So for Mike Nantz, who'd spent years fighting the shadows of family legacy, it seemed as if some form of barrier had been shattered. He had to decide, but that was in his control. That was a novel concept for a Spartan whose life was ordered and yet he did. No, he would figure this out, move forward, and let the chips fall where they may.

"Mike?"

Mike was shaken from his contemplative state to see Melanie standing before him, a curious look on her face. He braced himself for another attack but could see that instead she was awkwardly looking at him.

"Can we talk?" she asked him, a note of anxiety in her voice.

"Sure, we could go to my office if you'd like," he replied.

"No, can we go off base? I'd like to get away from all the distractions here," she asked, seemingly uncomfortable with the request.

Mike checked his watch and saw they had time before the team's first activity of the day together since Gunny MacGregor had them stripping and cleaning weapons for the morning. "Sure," he confirmed, "when would you like to talk?"

"How about now?"

"Sure, let's go." Mike was a bit surprised by the perception of urgency in the woman but decided to seize the moment.

The pair signed out with the duty NCO and walked away from the fenced complex and into an industrial area to get away from prying eyes.

They walked in silence for several blocks until Melanie finally decided to speak.

"Mike, I want to apologize to you. I was totally out of line with how I've treated you since the last mission. I shouldn't have attacked you like that, especially when you were down," I'm sorry."

Mike stopped in his tracks, shocked at the admission of the proud Spartan. "Thank you," he replied, "I appreciate that." He paused for a moment and decided to speak freely. "What's going on Mel?"

"I'm not sure, Michael," she replied, looking up at him with anguish etching her face. "For so long I blocked out any feelings. And then…and then when I saw you again…I'm not sure…then you shared about your discovery about how you'd come to feel again…then…then I was jealous. I'd pushed so much down. Then it all came back…our time together on Onyx. Then that Misriah woman showed up and everything has been constant turmoil since then." Her face reddened at the confession. "Dammit, everything's just upside down. I don't know what I'm thinking, what I'm feeling…," her voice trailed off.

"Mel, I'm sorry," Mike apologized, realizing for the first time what he'd unlocked and unleashed upon the woman he cared deeply for. "I never intended…"

"Just stop, okay?" she retorted angrily, cutting him off. "I don't do anything against my wishes and that's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?" Mike asked, trying to read the confused woman.

"I'm not sure but I know it's not bad, despite all this. When we were turned into Spartans they took something from us, but I'm not sure all of it went away."

"I know what you mean."

Melanie took Mike's hand in hers and looked deep into his eyes and declared, "I don't want to fight with you Michael. You're too important to me. I lost you once and I don't want to lose you again." She squeezed his hand in emphasis.

Mike looked deep into the captivating blue eyes and was drawn in. He thought of the awkward, plain girl he'd befriended at Camp Currahee and realized she was gone. An attractive, strong, confident woman was before him. The thought was confusing for him as a rush of emotions overwhelmed his ability to process them. There'd been something between them on Onyx. Kat had seen it as had the rest of their team. But what was it? They'd never had the chance or maturity to explore it. But now, right here, none of those impediments were in the way.

As if she were reading his mind, Melanie reached up and tenderly kissed him on the cheek.

"So where do we go from here?" Mike asked.

"I'm not sure," she replied, her lips parted and eyes closed, "but right now I think I'd like to…"

Melanie's train of thought was drowned out by the sound of air raid sirens beginning to wail.

"What the heck?" Mike said, confused by what was going on.

A Warthog roared up and skidded to a halt, as if answering his question. The driver yelled about the sound, "Sir, we're under attack! You need to get back to base right now!"


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

 **October 20, 2552, 1020 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Gentlemen, I can confirm that at 0845 hours Covenant forces exited slipspace and attacked this planet," General Phil Sheridan, the military commander of Mars reported to the officers and senior NCO's watching the holo screen in the briefing room. "Fortunately the bulk of their forces came out early and so our ODP's were able to hold them off. Another fleet though punched through our picket line and have begun landing on Katagalugan which means you'll likely be seeing action shortly in Seven Hills. This means Winter Contingency is in effect. Colonel Ackerson, you are in charge of the defenses in your region. You will defend the moving of as much material and manufacturing equipment as possible. Organize all the various forces in the area and hold the line."

"Yes sir, what's the status of Earth?" Ackerson replied, face set like stone at the grim report.

"We received a flash message that Earth as well is under assault," the general confirmed, causing an involuntary groan from those watching the briefing.

Ackerson pursed his lips at the news and asked, "What air assets will we have?"

"You have 3 ODP's capable of covering your region for the time being so nothing heavy should get through. Other areas of the planet were not so lucky. I'm dispatching 2 Halcyon class cruisers to provide close cover plus you'll have the air wing at Kenosha and their Longswords to support you."

"That's it?"

"That's all you get colonel. We're on the clock here people and we need to get as many people and goods off the planet as possible. Our priorities are to hold the Reyes-McLees Shipyards as well as the Spaceport in New Harmony. Beyond that….," the general paused, weighing his words, "the rest are on a best case scenario."

"So we're evacuating the planet, we're not standing and fighting," Mike interjected, as Ackerson glared at him.

"Correct lieutenant commander. We don't have the resources to defend this planet. We're going to strip as much of it as we can and then bug out to Earth. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Mike replied automatically but thinking of the inevitability to what was being said all the while considering what he'd experienced on Reach.

"Your team is being mobilized and will be part of Colonel Ackerson's command, Mike," General Sheridan confirmed. "I know you're trainings not been completed but we're activating everything we have. You'll just have to improvise; it's all hands on deck."

"We'll get the job done, sir," Mike confirmed optimistically thought not feeling what his voice was declaring. Still, there was little option for anyone; war had now come to Mars.

 **October 20, 2552, 1020 hours, Covenant CCS class Cruiser** _ **Triumphant Declaration**_ **orbiting Planet Mars**

"We lost two ships from the fleet on the other side of the planet from their orbiting battle stations," the Brute Mygaeum reported to his clan chief and fleet commander.

"The fools came out of slipspace too soon and then in too close," Lepidus rumbled. "If our glorious Prophet had not split our forces that never would have happened," the Brute chieftain complained. "Well that's their problem, not ours," he added derisively about those from another clan than his.

"What are your orders, ship master?"

"Signal the rest of the fleet to gather at this location where we'll be clear of their gun platforms. In the meantime begin deploying our forces to the surface."

"Is that not going against the Prophet's orders?"

Lepidus snorted. "That fool will have his hands full on Earth with his paltry fleet. He is of no concern to us right now. Besides, when the Prophet of Truth arrives we'll have a new order."

When Truth arrives, my chief?" his second in command asked in surprise. "What do you know?"

"Nothing more than instinct, my friend. A force our size could not have left unnoticed nor was our path hidden at all. Despite Unyielding Hierophant being destroyed Truth is not without power or influence."

"And yet we still left with Regret?"

"I am merely a humble follower of our wise Prophets," Lepidus responded with a sarcastic bow. "And when the Prophet of Truth inevitably arrives with a larger, better disposed fleet to eliminate the humans, who will be in the front of the line to reap the benefits and show what he did?"

So then you're not intending on glassing the planet? You intend to capture it."

"You're catching on fast, my friend. What better place to stage a more methodical assault on Earth and search for their precious religious artifacts than after a quick victory here."

"And you will control it."

Lepidus didn't respond but did raise a bushy eyebrow in agreement. "I will show just where true ability can be found," he added. "Now send the signal to gather my, I mean, our fleet. The assault and capture of the red planet can begin."

 **1035 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Minutes later Mike stood with the rest of the Wolf Pack minus Maia in their team area. Since the air raid sirens continued to wail and a PA system was giving regular announcements about the invasion and evacuation Mike had to raise his voice. "That's the deal," Mike concluded after sharing what he'd learned from the general," the Covenant are here and we're going into action. We're going to armor and weapon up and then find out where they need us."

"How soon 'til we see action?" Alissa asked, her eyes ablaze.

"Unknown," Mike answered, "likely soon. This area is too valuable not to be hit. But our ODPs held in this region so any attack will come likely from the east where there's been a breach and the Covenant have begun landing already. We have a bit of time but not much."

"Do we have any idea about the composition of their forces, sir," Adam asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Mike caught it but chose not to address it. "No, not yet. We have to figure their typical array of mixed forces." Then looking at his teenage charges who fidgeted about nervously he added, "We've trained for this and you guys are ready. All this means is we go into action a few weeks earlier, nothing more. We focus and get the job done."

The team nodded in approval, steeled by the confidence their commander was showing.

"Reporting for duty, sir!"

All eyes in the room turned to Maia who stood there in her hospital clothing.

Mike looked at the way the teen was dressed and asked skeptically, "Were you discharged?"

"I discharged myself," the dark brown haired Spartan answered somewhat belligerently.

"You're not ready," Mike responded, shaking his head, "report back to the infirmary.

"I don't care," Maia yelled, the first time any had heard her do that, "I'm not going to lie in my bed waiting for the Covenant to come and kill me. I'm going to fight!" she added, sticking her chin out for emphasis.

Mike looked at the teen standing before him in her dressing gown and couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, you can come and gear up with the rest of us."

The remainder of the team spontaneously went over to welcome her back but first Maia went directly to Matt. "I heard what you did after I was taken out on the ex," she stated, looking right into his dark grey eyes. "Thank you, that means a lot."

Matt looked around at the rest of the team and his gaze fixed on Adam. "No one messes with the Wolf Pack. We're a team."

Yes, they were ready.

"Okay people let's move," Mike ordered as he watched the teens respond to Matt's declaration.

As the team filed out of the room and headed towards the armory Mike was stopped by Gunny MacGregor.

"Where do ye want me and the boys?" the drill instructor asked, blocking his path.

Mike saw that he was already in a set of Battle Armor and had a Magnum pistol strapped to his hip. "I think you and your team should be reporting to Colonel Ackerson for placement," he answered, trying to avoid the implication of what he'd been asked.

"Bah, he's a paper pusher. I plan on fighting with ye and the team," MacGregor gestured to the Wolf Pack.

"Gunny, you might want to sit this out," Mike declared, looking at his missing arm. "You can help in logistics if you want."

The Scotsman's eyes blazed. "Bugger that! I'm no going to be left out of the fight," he stormed, before adding a curt, "sir. I can fight as well as any of the Helljumpers or with any of your wee lads. Just try to stop me!"

"Okay, gunny," Mike couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I figured as much but I had to give you the option. I'm glad to have you."

MacGregor choked for a moment and Mike thought he saw a tear form in his eye before he shook it away. "Thank you sir. I won't let you down."

Mike turned and realized the rest of the team had gathered in the hallway behind him as he had his conversation with MacGregor. They all were grinning at the prospect of now fighting alongside their drill instructor it seemed.

"All right," Mike said with a chuckle, "let's get going. The Covenant aren't going to wait for us. We need to gear up."

The armory sergeant-major was usually casual in terms of career soldiers but now there was an edge to his expression as the Wolf Pack arrived.

"All right, you're authorized for full weapon and armor load-out based on your Scale of Issue but as far as I'm concerned if you see it and want it, it's yours. We're not going to dick around here," the senior NCO barked out but it was obvious there was concern. He, as with many, had family on the planet so now was not the time for bureaucratic procedures.

"Thanks sergeant-major, we appreciate that," Mike answered, nodding his head in approval. "You heard the man. Step up and fill up."

Mike watched his young charges first get fitted for new sets of Mark II SPI armor as the one's they'd been wearing thus far had been older versions and had seen a lot of wear-and-tear. He watched each step up and get their dull, olive drab armor on, moving about to ensure the fit and seal was correct. He watched with satisfaction how good they were at going through this process and was happy to see he didn't need to make any recommendations.

Still, Mike could feel that both his breathing and heart rate was elevated as he looked at the team. He knew they could do it but were they ready? The last couple of weeks had been rough and he'd hoped they'd have had the opportunity to get back on track. But Spartans generally didn't have that luxury. They were viewed as expendable soldiers but they weren't to him and he pledged anew to do everything in his power to ensure their lives were not wasted. In terms of a future that was out of his control and now that the Covenant had found the Sol System none likely had long to live. Still, he would do all he could to ensure they did their part to stop the juggernaut that had appeared.

Mike was equally impressed with their weapon selection. Alissa and Matt were the first to step up. The team's sniper selected a SRS99 AM Sniper Rifle which reminded him of Jun. He wondered what his former Noble Team colleague was doing. Matt, true to his aggressive nature, picked not only an M7/Caseless Submachine Gun but also a M45 Shotgun. Terrell chose a M247 General Purpose Machine Gun, Maia took a BR55 Battle Rifle and finally Adam stepped up and bypassed the MA5K Carbine that so many of the Spartan IIIs used, instead grabbing a new MA5C Assault Rifle for more fire power.

"All right, sir, your team's good to go," the armory senior NCO announced, "the chamber's being prepped and you'll be ready in about two minutes. You can pick your guns in the meantime."

As Mike took a step toward the weapons rack Melanie came into the armory, already in her recon-configured armor but now looking for a weapon. She stopped and with her piercing blue eyes looked at Mike. The two held their look, unconcerned others would see. All knew of their connection and equally murky relationship but that would have to wait for another time.

"You got your orders yet?" Mike asked, holding his position.

Melanie nodded her head, nose stud sparkling in the light, "I got a Falcon taking me out in 5 to cruise the state's perimeter, trying to buy Ackerson some time."

"Well you take care of yourself, okay?"

"Always do," Melanie replied with a snort but it was obvious she was touched by Mike's concern. She turned to the rest of the team who'd stopped talking and now fidgeted tensely. "Wolf Pack, you go out there and give 'em hell," she declared. "You guys are ready, you know it and I know it. Use everything I've taught you and follow Mike's lead. He'll get you through this. Hope to see you around soon."

"Thanks ma'am," Maia spoke for the team then stepped forward and shook hands with their mentor. "Good luck out there."

Melanie then went to a rack, picked out an M392 Designated Marksman Rifle. Looking it over with a keen eye she grabbed a bandolier of 7.62mm ammunition for it and without another word or backward glance walked out.

Mike knew it was for the best but part of him lamented they'd not really had the chance to finish their conversation from the previous night. As he thought about her involuntarily his thoughts went to Natalia. "Probably already off planet," he said to himself.

Strangely the thought of going back into combat comforted the Lone Wolf. He'd been so caught up in his personal feelings the simplicity of life and death was welcome to him. Looking over the rack of weapons he bypassed both DMRs and Battle Rifles to grab instead a MA37 Assault Rifle, his weapon of choice for years. The familiar weight and feel was a comfort to him. He turned to the armorer and declared, "All right sergeant-major, let's get me suited up. It's time to go to work."

Yet his conjecture about Natalia was far from the truth.

In face the woman had been initially awakened by an alarm tone going off on her device since she'd chosen to sleep in this day. The pressures of late had run her down a bit so she'd allowed herself the luxury of a late morning. Yet the tone told her it was important. In addition she thought she heard the sound of air raid sirens going off in the city. Grabbing her communications device from the night stand she punched the 'accept transmission' button.

"Misriah, this is Commander Sullivan," the ONI Station Chief announced without greeting. "The Covenant have reached Mars. There's a general evacuation of the planet going on. All ONI personnel are being given priority evac status. You need to get yourself back to New Harmony ASAP and we'll get you off with the rest of the unit."

The news hit Natalia like a hammer. It took her a few moments to process it before she responded, "The Covenant? Here…how? What about the Cole Protocol?"

"Doesn't matter," Sullivan cut her off brusquely. "That time's past. Just get yourself here, we're starting our evac at 1600hours."

Natalia considered the implications of what she'd heard and also weighed her response options. In the end there really was no choice for the woman. "I'm not coming," she declared.

"Pardon?" Sullivan answered, shocked by the answer.

"I'm not leaving."

"Did you hear what I just told you?" the ONI officer replied incredulously. "The Covenant are here and we don't have the defensive structure to hold it. They'll likely glass this planet. Hell, we may not even get off in time."

"I know and I don't care. I'm not going to run," Natalia declared firmly.

Sullivan paused for a moment, pondering the implication of the young woman's comments. "Suit yourself. You're not part of my chain of command so I can't order you. Good luck."

Sullivan hung up before Natalia could say anything more. She was now standing beside her bed and felt her heart beating. She was alone now, part of no unit, an orphan really, just like Mike was.

 _What should I do?_ She thought to herself. Her first instinct was to call Mike but she knew better. He'd be busy right now but she knew she needed to be here and do her part. But what could she do? This was different from Reach. She had no armor, no weapons… _no skills_ , she thought derisively. No, that wasn't true. She had her mind and experience. While she may be no use in the field she did have skills that could be used to support local operations. She'd help there.

But first she did have a call to make.

Setting up a relay she placed the call she knew she had to if she'd ever be able to do her job, praying it would go through.

"Dad?"

"Natalia, thank God," Spanner Misriah declared, the veneer of cool control gone. "Are you in the ONI evac yet? You need to get off Mars as soon as you can."

How he knew kind of irritated Natalia but that wasn't the point.

"No father, I'm not."

"What?" Spanner responded, not believing what he'd heard.

"I'm staying here and doing my job," his daughter stated firmly. "I want you to promise me you won't interfere."

"Natalia…" Spanner's voice trailed off, a cold fear gripping him.

"Promise me dad!" she raised her voice.

The line was silent. Spanner Misriah had received a briefing on Mars already plus one on the growing attack on Earth. Desperately he wanted his daughter by his side, to protect her, but he knew he couldn't. It was time to finally let her go. "Okay, I promise you," he said quietly, voice choking slightly.

"Thanks Dad," Natalia answered, deeply touch by the gesture and sentiment attached.

Natalia…,"

"Yes dad?"

"I love you," Spanner declared, as his eyes filled with tears.

Natalia was deeply touched. "I love you too. Take care dad and I'll see you around. Good bye."

The transmission ended and Spanner Misriah put down his device, his heart breaking. "I hope so."

Back at their base, all geared up, the Wolf Pack along with a platoon of ODSTs waited in the compound of their base for orders. A nervous anticipation hung thick in the air since no one, Mike included, knew what they would do or when it would happen. Colonel Ackerson was still busy organizing the defenses for the province so had left the special operators in a standby mode.

"So when are we going to do something," Matt declared in agitation.

"Yea, we're wasting time standing around like this," Alissa added, veins bulging in her neck.

Mike was reminded the Spartan IIIs from Gamma Company had had their minds altered with an illegal mutagen that had made them more naturally aggressive. Each took a counteragent daily to balance them out but he was reminded that as they went into the field and combat he'd need to ensure they were taking it regularly. He'd read reports of what happened to the Gamma Spartans when they came off it and it wasn't pretty. He sighed heavily thinking about the yet another injustice committed against these children, forgetting he'd once been one of them.

"So when?" Matt pressed since he'd gotten no response from their reflective leader.

"Don't be in such a hurry Matt, you'll have plenty of war soon enough," Mike replied as he considered the devastation that had come to Reach and so many other planets he'd visited over the years. "Hard to say though. It depends on what the Covvie's strategy is and where they'll push to first. Could be soon, could a be a while."

It turned out to be soon.

The ground shook slightly and what seemed like a secondary explosion could be heard in the distance.

"Any stations, this is Juliet 25," a panicked voice called over the open tactical channel, "We have Covenant drop ships inbound on our positon. We are engaged, I say again, we are being engaged!"

"Juliet 25 this is Wolf Pack Actual," Mike answered the call sign of the 556th Infantry Battalion stationed on the perimeter of Losantiville since there'd been no communications protocols established yet for the city's defense. He immediately slapped on his helmet and responded into his communication mouth piece. "Sit Rep, over."

"We are being engaged by heavy Covenant forces." Another series of explosions punctuated the urgent report.

"What is your location, over?" Mike asked calmly, already preparing a response.

"We're at grid Omega 353-845. Setting a way point now."

"Hang tight Juliet 25," Mike answered calmly as the mark appeared on his tactical display, "help is on the way."

"Make it quick, I don't know how long we can last."

Mike looked around at the assembled troops and knew there was no time to waste waiting for orders from higher. "Saddle up Wolf Pack, we're going into action." Then he turned to MacGregor. "Gunny, scramble as many ODST's as you can and get them to that location. We'll take Falcon 1 and 2 and head there direct."

"Aye aye, sir," MacGregor said, a wicked grin on his face. "But be sure you save some of them for me and the boys."

The two helicopters were already spooling up in anticipation of the action as the team split into two groups and hopped on board. Mike wasn't even seated and already they were pulling out.

As the Spartans rose above the city in the Falcons they could see what was going on. Three Covenant Phantom drop ships hovered in an overwatch position on the edge of the city. Already several plums of black smoke rose in the air from locations on the ground that had been destroyed. Red bolts of super-heated plasma could be seen coming from the Phantoms in the distance, while the staccato sounds of several M71 Anti-Aircraft Turrets opening fire punctured the air. The Scythe's let loose with a ferocious salvo of 102mm high explosive incendiary rounds, cutting into one of the Phantoms causing it to crash into the ground in flames. One of the two remaining shifted its fire and spit out several plasma bolts that hissed through the air and bit into the AA guns, taking both out in short order.

"One minute out," the Falcon pilot reported, "this is going to be a hot LZ." As if to punctuate the declaration one of the door gunners opened up with his M247H Heavy Machine Gun scattering a half dozen Grunts trying to form.

"All right, this is it," Mike called over the team frequency, "remember your training. Spread formation on insertion. We then consolidate and roll 'em up. Got it?"

"Wolf Pack!" the rest of the team howled in spontaneous response.

Mike couldn't help but smile. They were ready.

Though under fire from Plasma Rifle fire the Falcons dropped in aggressively then flared five feet from the ground. The Spartans dropped in and spread out as the helicopters pulled out of the firefight. The tactical channel for the city was a mass of confused reports but it seemed that thus far the only insertion was in this area. The Spartans were definitely in the right place.

"Terrell, base of fire, rest of you, clear this area, Alissa, high ground, pick targets of opportunity," Mike ordered as he watched the Grunts fall back in panic but be replaced by Jackals who began to direct fire from behind the cover of their point defense gauntlet generated energy shields.

Since his team members SPI armor had more limited ballistic capabilities and no energy shielding than his own suit of Mjolnir Mike took the point. Leading with a grenade he fried the shields of a pair of Jackals blocking their way then shredded them with fire from his Assault Rifle.

The Grunts regrouped and attempted to concentrate fire with their Plasma Pistols and Rifles. Colorful plasma bolts ripped through the air but the excited Unggoy couldn't steady their aim so most flew harmlessly away though a couple did connect on Mike. The staccato fire of Terrell's GPMG opening up catching the squat creatures off guard and half were ripped apart before the group could react. Adam and Maia, working together, dropped the remainder with disciplined bursts of automatic fire.

The attacking Jackals realized the well-organized force arrayed against them so tried to fall back to advantageous places of cover to snipe at the Wolf Pack but the Spartans were too quick. Mike dropped a grenade expertly into a trio of the avian attackers while Matt charged aggressively into the middle of another trio and began to blast away with his shotgun after beating down the shield of one who tried to block him. None could bring fire to bear as the aggressive teen wreaked havoc within the group.

A ferocious roar filled the battle field as three gorilla-like Brutes in full battle armor charged into the fray from the shadows of a warehouse. Matt was caught off guard, blowing away a Jackal with his shotgun and so was bowled over and thrown surreptitiously into a pile of rubble.

Mike was at the opposite end of the industrial square they were fighting in as the Brutes arrived but saw two of the team who were well placed to contain the new threat. "Adam, you and Maia hook right, roll up their flank," he called out over the comms.

While Maia immediately sprang into action to reposition Adam didn't move.

"Adam, Adam, report, move now, confirm," Mike called out urgently.

But the teen was frozen in place.

Brutes! Adam saw the gigantic creatures and couldn't believe it. The image of his parents and older brother being torn apart before his eyes by the Jiralhanae when he was a child came overwhelmingly back in vivid color. He'd thought he'd forgot or at least suppressed it.

He hadn't.

Deep in thought, in growing paralysing fear, he fixated on the image and could do nothing else.

One of the shaggy Brutes who'd aimed his Brute Shot at Adam saw the Spartan freeze and so decided to instead seek the satisfaction of beating his human victim to death. With a roar of blood lust the Jiralhanae charged at the frozen victim.

 _Crack Crack_

The report of Alissa's SRS99 AM sniper rifle was a welcome sound as the Brute roared in surprise, blood spurting out of its head from two bullet wounds.

Maia caught what was going on and wheeled about, capping off a trio of three round bursts into the Brute with her Battle Rifle who then crumpled to the ground.

A salvo of fragmentation grenades in response from the enraged comrades of the dead Brute threw Maia in the air like a rag doll.

The roar of engines added to the din as a quartet of Warthogs arrived, M41 Vulcan LAAGs spitting out death. Gunny MacGregor and the ODSTs had arrived. Bursting in on the scene the triple barrel gun lit up the pair of Brutes with 12.7x99mm armor piercing rounds.

With the Brutes down the combined Spartan team and ODSTs made short order of the remaining Covenant invaders. Just as quickly as the short, sharp fight seemed to begin it ended and all fell silent other than the crackle of fires from several burning buildings. The battle for Mars had begun for the Wolf Pack.


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

 **October 20, 2552, 1535 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"Adam!"

The word broke the frozen teen out of his stupor.

"What?" He responded sluggishly, trying to fight to panic he felt so still not entirely with the rest of the world.

"I said, Adam, are you all right?" Maia asked, putting her hand reassuringly on his arm.

"Yea…I mean, no…I mean, the Brutes…," Adam ripped off his helmet, as if he couldn't breathe. His voice was being choked out as he lost himself anew in the stress of his past.

"It's okay. You don't need to hide it anymore. I know about Draco III," she said quietly.

"You do?"

"I read about it," the dark brown-haired Spartan answered. "You've always reacted funny when the Jiralhanae came up. I figured I better find out about it," Maia surmised correctly.

"It's all come back," Adam said quietly, a quiver entering his voice.

"No one's going to do that to you, or us," she added, guessing correctly some of his fear. "This time you can fight back and avenge your family."

Adam considered the reality of the statement when Mike came over for the first time a glimmer of hope entered to gloom of his past.

"You all right, Adam?" the leader of the team asked. Despite still wearing his helmet it was obvious the older Spartan was trying to figure out what had happened to his young 2ic.

"I am now, sir," he responded, embarrassment lacing his voice.

"Then what just happened?" Mike asked pointedly, needing to know why the teen froze during their first combat mission.

"Well sir, I had a malfunction…," Adam started to lie until Maia cut him off.

"Tell him the truth Adam," his teammate and friend declared, "or I will.

Mike looked intently at the teen but said nothing.

Adam swallowed hard and decided to take the advice, as painful and embarrassing as it would be. "It's the Brutes, sir," he began, avoiding eye contact. "Every time I think of them I choke up. Then seeing them today…," his voice trailed off.

"What happened?" Mike asked quietly, beginning to figure out what had happened.

"When I was a kid Brutes not only killed my family but they mutilated them as well," Adam stated, emotion rising in his voice. "I watched it happen," the memory started to overwhelm the teen and his voice began to break, "I didn't do anything about it…I just watched," a mixture of sadness, anger and embarrassment was evident, "if only…I should have…"

"You were a kid, Adam," Mike cut him off. "There was nothing you could have done to prevent it."

"Yea I know, but…"

"But now you have the chance to fight back, to avenge them," Mike countered, echoing Maia's sentiments. "You never have to sit back and let anything like that happen anymore. You're a Spartan."

Adam pondered the statement for a moment and that helped him a lot with the sense of guilt he'd carried for years. But still, there was more to this. "But every time I think of them it grips me…now seeing them…I just…I just shut down."

Mike looked at him carefully; assessing not only what he was seeing but hearing. "You're looking at this the wrong way Adam. Turn that fear and sadness into aggression. Take it and use it as fuel to make them pay for what they did. Instead of cowering in fear stand and face those you couldn't hurt before and fight, destroy them," the experienced Spartan declared reflecting on his own personal experience. "Find a way to win."

Adam bit his lower lip as he considered what he'd heard. The despair he'd felt at not only freezing but letting his team down was overwhelming, but something new was starting to build. _I can fight back_ , he thought to himself _. I don't have to stand around helpless anymore. I can make the bastards pay. No one is going to do that to me, or anyone else that's around me_ , he resolved to himself. _I'm going to fight back_. "Okay sir," he confirmed. "I got this."

"You sure?"

Adam nodded his head in confirmation but said nothing. But a new resolve in his eyes. Jaw set firmly the change in the teen was evident.

"Good man, you can beat this," Mike replied, nodding his head in agreement.

As they were finishing up the conversation the rest of the team assembled after sweeping the area to ensure there were no more Covenant. Mike was happy with how the Wolf Pack had handled themselves despite Adam freezing. They were bloodied now and had their first taste of combat. He was pleased also that no one mentioned what happened to Adam; instead they seemed to let it go. They truly were now a team.

A harried looking Army lieutenant who looked fresh out of OCS came up to Mike and threw him a salute. "Thanks sir, you really saved our butts out there."

"No problem," the seasoned warrior answered. "Just glad we could help. Did you take many casualties?"

"Not too many, thanks to you and your team."

Mike pondered the happiness the statement caused. For so long he'd worked alone and in a different context. It felt good to have purpose and be appreciated.

The slender officer continued, "But how'd they get here so fast? I thought we had ODP and Navy top cover."

"Likely came overland," Mike answered with a shrug knowing with the Covenant you had to be prepared for anything. "They've landed in Katagalugan apparently."

"What?" the young officer's eyes went wide in shock. "How can we hold then? Shouldn't we just bug out?"

"No," Mike countered firmly, "We can hold if we work together and use our resources wisely. Stick to your training, get your guys organized. We'll be okay."

The comment seemed to bring resolve to the soldier so he replied, "Thanks again sir. Glad you have our back." He threw up another salute and returned to check on his troops leaving Mike to wonder though who had their backs. Colonel Ackerson was an experienced officer but he'd been out of field command for too long. How he'd been given control of the region rather than a more seasoned combat leader or at least an ODST senior officer perplexed and disturbed him a bit. He was still uncertain about the Wolf Pack's role in this whole scheme. But he determined not to stress about it and focus more on what was within his control, like how his team performed. He couldn't help smile as they bounded enthusiastically up to him.

"We kicked ass!" Matt declared, focusing on what they'd just accomplished rather than poking or prodding at Adam for his freezing. "But where's the rest of the attack? That was nothing."

"You all did great but it was only a probe," Mike interjected. "Looks like they were testing our defenses."

"Doesn't matter, we still smoked 'em." Then Matt snorted, "So what's up with the 556? They sure hit the panic button."

"They're mostly all new recruits," Mike explained patiently, "the unit was almost entirely wiped out last year. This was their first taste of combat." The declaration had a sobering effect on the team but Mike still wanted to make a point. "They're not Spartans, but they're still our brothers and sisters. We need to be sure we respect them."

Mike watched Matt's reaction. His face reddened at the implied rebuke and he opened his mouth to retort, but then it was as if the argumentative teen thought about what his CO had said.

"Makes sense," Matt said in the end.

"What I want to know is where was the Air Force?" Maia asked quietly, changing the subject. "They shouldn't have allowed three Phantoms to get in here like that in the first place."

The teen didn't seem to be negatively impacted by her injury and escaping the infirmary, Mike noticed happily. "Covvies probably came in too fast for an intercept," he answered, "hopefully," thinking the base might already have been destroyed.

Gunny MacGregor joined the team, a gleam in his eyes. "Glad you left a few for us," he commented dryly.

"Hey, we waited for you as long as we could, gunny," Matt commented, bringing a chuckle from those listening.

"All right, that worked out," Mike stated, wanting to get down to business, "but we can't be doing this ad hoc thing. We need to establish some sort of command-and-control going forward."

"Makes sense, but isn't that up the colonel to sort out?" MacGregor asked, uncertain about the next steps.

"Ackerson is going to be swamped. He's been put in charge of the whole region and there's absolutely no c-in-c in place for that. It's going to take him time to get organized." Mike paused and looked at the destruction around him. "We don't have that kind of time. We need to take the initiative and be ready to protect this city at the very least."

"So you're thinking we set ourselves up as a QRF then?" the ODST senior NCO queried.

"Well, we definitely will need a quick reaction capability," Mike confirmed. "We have an untasked force, so it makes sense." MacGregor nodded his head in agreement so the Lone Wolf continued, "you have four platoons of operators, which gives us over sixty to work with. We have air and land transport. It's a perfect role for us until things get organized. Do you think your CO will go for it?"

"Captain Miller?" MacGregor countered. "He'll be no problem, leave that part to me." The veteran NCO then got a twinkle in his eye. "It looks like we finally get a chance to work together than again each other."

"You think your guys can make the jump?" Mike asked pointedly.

"Can yours?" MacGregor countered with a snort.

Mike couldn't help but chuckle. There'd been a lot of bad blood between the Wolf Pack and ODSTs lately due to their intensity of training but they were also professionals. "I think we'll rise to the occasion, what do you think guys?" he asked to his team who'd been eavesdropping on the conversation.

"You bet, sir," Alissa responded, "they just better be able to keep up," she added with a wicked grin.

The group bantered back and forth as warriors tend to do after a fight until Lance Corporal Kendrick walked up to the group purposefully.

Matt clenched his fists and Maia even involuntarily shifted into a fighting posture as the ODST who'd caused them so much grief during their training approached. The Spartans were still angry the charges levied against him for attacking Maia had been dismissed though considering the circumstances such things seemed irrelevant. Still, there was too much bad blood to see him as anything but another adversary.

"Listen, I don't want to interrupt," Kendrick stated politely, catching the Spartans off guard, "If we're getting back into the fight then I wanted to apologize for what went on between us during training. I was an asshole and out of line. I'm sorry."

The declaration stunned all gathered, including Gunny MacGregor who'd struggled with the talented but headstrong Helljumper.

Kendrick then went directly to Maia. "That was stupid of me to attack you like that when you were already down," he confessed, averting eye contact, "there's no excuse for that."

"I forgive you," Maia declared quietly, taking the remorseful ODST's hand and giving it a soft squeeze.

"Thanks, that means a lot," the ODST stated, still looking down but turning to Matt. "Sorry man, no hard feelings, okay? He extended his hand.

Matt paused for a moment and the group held their collective breath before he took the offered hand and shook it. "Yea, no problem mate, we're in this fight together. We all know who the real enemy is, let's get it done."

The Wolf Pack had truly arrived.

In a way James Ackerson couldn't believe what was happening but then the fatalistic senior officer wasn't surprised either. He'd been a soldier his whole life, had fought for years first against the Insurrection and then the Covenant. He'd been able to move from a combat role into research, being intimately involved in the Spartan program so being out of the action but now he was back in a field command. He remembered what to do, knew all the drills, but it had been a while so was slow on the uptake. Already they'd been attacked and he'd been slow to react. Fortunately his Spartans from the Wolf Pack had been quicker and had tamped out the threat. While they were under his command they were realistically under Mike B312's control. That irritated him a bit but then sighing realized he didn't have that luxury. Then his call to General Sheridan, Mar's military governor, went through.

"Sir, we've been attacked already by a small Covenant reconnaissance force," Ackerson reported.

"Okay, but I already know that, why are you calling?" the gruff, former armor officer responded bluntly.

"If they've already probed us then that means they'll likely return in force sooner than we'd expected. I'm going to need more air support or else we need to advance the timeline on our pull out."

Sheridan leaned into the video monitor, a hard look on his face. "You got to suck it up and hold the line, colonel," he answered pointedly. You've got what you've got to defend your region so you better get yourself organized. And there's no way you're bugging out. We need whatever resources we can get out of your facilities moved off planet. Set up a picket line and get that stuff moving. Do you read me?"

Ackerson saw that Misriah woman from ONI walk into his office as he digested the response from his superior officer. "Loud and clear sir," he responded, forlorn.

"Good man," Sheridan nodded his head in satisfaction. "Get it done James, I'm counting on you."

With that the officer broke connection.

Ackerson sighed audibly, not caring if the woman from ONI heard it or not. "What can I do for you, lieutenant commander?" he asked wearily. "I'm not interested in production reports or, frankly, any ONI BS right now. I'm a little busy."

"That's not it at all," Natalia answered, a bit taken aback by his harsh welcome but then she reminded herself their last meeting hadn't gone too well and he'd been suspicious of her intentions. "I've come to help. I'd like to find a place somewhere in your command."

Ackerson was surprised by the response of the rich, beautiful woman. "Excuse me? Aren't you supposed to be evac'ing with all the rest of the ONI personnel?"

"No, I've decided the stay," Natalia responded firmly. "The fights right here, right now. I want to contribute."

Ackerson was shocked but impressed by the pluck of the billionaire's daughter. He considered the proposition for a moment, now intrigued by it. "Thanks for the offer. You fought on Reach, didn't you?" he asked.

"I did," Natalia answered, face reddening though.

"But you're not a combat officer?" the career officer more stated than asked. "You have no armor or weapon, correct?"

"That's right."

"And you were here on Mars originally on an inspection tour for Admiral Parangosky looking at our industrial production states?"

That's correct," Natalia answered tightly, not liking where the thrust of the conversation seemed to be going.

Ackerson gave her a wry grin then asked bluntly, "So what can you do to help here?"

Natalie was hurt by the inference but then reminded herself it was a fair question. The weary looking army officer knew nothing about her other than what he'd probably heard over the rumor mill or saw on the holo screen. Rather than allow herself to be hurt like she would have been in the past she decided to answer the query head on. "That's a fair question, sir," she confessed and was happy to see a nod of approval from the colonel. "I'm not a combat officer, that's pretty obvious. My field experience was limited to Reach," she confessed thinking anew of how much Mike had helped her there. "That's not what I meant. But I do have experience in logistics and personnel management plus I'm qualified as a Combat Field Controller. I know you're in an all-hands-on deck situation and are likely short staffed. I'd be happy to serve on your team or somewhere else you need me. I just want to help."

Ackerson looked at the woman standing before him carefully. It wasn't hard to do and he had to focus to not be distracted by her magnetic looks. He saw no subterfuge in her, no hint that this was some sort of ONI scheme. Instead he saw a genuine desire from the young officer to serve. Though her motivation may not have been 100% altruistic she was still here and had obviously disregarded her branch's evacuation opportunity. Begrudgingly, he had to admit he was impressed by the privileged woman's pluck to make the offer

And he needed the help.

Ackerson had been staffed to lead a Special Ops training cell, not combat operations for a whole country. His staff was bare bones and many were not qualified for this kind of situation. He was hesitant to pull people away from the few units he had available to him. General Sheridan had given him a near impossible task. He needed the help and if Natalia Misriah was willing to work for him, what choice did he have?

"So what do you say, sir?" Natalia prompted him.

"And you're willing to work in any capacity?" Ackerson confirmed, surprised he was actually considering the offer.

"I just want to do my part," the young woman confirmed.

 _Why not? What do I have to lose?_ Ackerson thought to himself. "I could use the help and I appreciate the offer," he confirmed. Then he extended his hand to shake hers, "welcome aboard, Misriah."

 **October 20, 2552, 1535 Hours, Sydney Australia, planet Earth**

"She's doing what?" MacKenzie Wainwright exploded at the news Spanner Misriah had given him. "Are you crazy letting her stay on Mars? That planet's gone!"

Surprisingly the owner of Misriah Armory didn't respond to the insult and rebuke the young executive had just rendered. "She has that right MacKenzie, we have to give it to her," he answered evenly, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice. He himself wasn't sure about it either but he had to give her the chance.

"But this is crazy! The Covenant are here!" her would-be suitor spat out. "We need to get her out of there; she needs to be in a safer place."

Spanner Misriah considered the statement for a moment and then thought of who she was with why then answered soberly, ""There's no longer any safe place Mr. Wainwright," and then contemplating why she was likely with him added, "she's probably in the safest place possible for her."


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

 **October 21, 2552, 1020 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Natalia had moved her gear onto the base and was already working. It immediately felt good to be part of something rather than being on the periphery looking in. Colonel Ackerson had her serving in 'traffic control' currently meaning she was co-ordinating the plotting of UNSC and Covenant movement in the region in the Command-and-Control hub. There'd been little time to adjust to the new role since already the Covenant had been probing the outer lying areas of Seven Hills and an attack in force to Losantiville was anticipated. The quick-thinking woman was processing information from a variety of sources like satellites and drones but by far the best reconnaissance data they were receiving came from a lone operator who'd been keeping them abreast of developments on the border.

Though not as exhilarating as combat Natalia did seem good at it and it gave her a purpose she'd not had for a long time. The proof of her contribution had come from the fact Ackerson already seemed to have shifted his view of her from indifference to appreciation. It felt good to be responsible and needed beyond her name recognition. She was proud to be a Misriah but had longed to make her own name for some time, indeed that had driven her desire to go to Reach in the summer. It was incredible to think of all that had gone on in such a short time, it felt like a lifetime, not five months. But there was little time to rest on such happy thoughts since this was already shaping up to be a busy day.

"Sit rep, Misriah," Colonel Ackerson called from the work station he'd set up in the back of the communications center which now acted as the C-in-C. There were a half dozen soldiers sitting at terminals doing a variety of tasks but most were involved with the evacuation of Losantiville. Civilian movement was going well but war material not so much. There was just too much inventory and too few transportation options. While there was an efficient system of rail and trucking plus several air landing pads the city had been designed for the regular flow of goods, not the rapid removal of anything. It was an industrial town built for commerce not with an eye to evacuation in mind.

Natalia looked at the status board on her terminal which was also being projected onto a main screen. In the center of the wall at the back of the room which everyone faced was a large map of the region with sub-monitors ringing it. Some were tactical readouts, some real-time video capture, others parade states for the military units defending the region. It was an efficient summary of all that was going on in Seven Hills.

And Natalia had built it.

She'd just naturally did it, not really stopping to consider the skill that had gone into the creation of the information hub. It needed to be done and she did it, still, the idea that she had done this with her own skill and not her father's influence caused her to smile. But, there was no time for patting herself on the back, the now area commander was waiting for his situation report.

"Sir, Bedford has fallen," Natalia reported coolly of the town on the outer edge of region closest to where the bulk of Covenant forces had landed, "and the forces are falling back in good order with minimal casualties. They're consolidating with those from Olcott."

"Assessment?"

"Air cover looks good; they've got decent armor and artillery support." Natalia rechecked her feeds to ensure her report was accurate. "Covenant forces are largely infantry though they do seem to be supported by more armor than initially reported by higher command. Air assets thus far are only Spirit Dropships and the newer Phantom troop carriers plus their fighter escorts of course."

"So no capital ships in atmosphere?" Ackerson asked, almost holding his breath.

"No sir, none thus far," Natalia confirmed. "Our fleet assets and ODPs seem to be keeping them away with their MAC guns."

The colonel exhaled audibly and seemed to relax. Thus far it appeared as if this was a ground campaign only, one he believed they could win. "So our picket line should hold? They're good?"

"Unless the Covvies hit them in force they should be a good buffer." Natalia was frankly amazed as she heard her voice give the tactical assessment. Watching Ackerson nod his head in approval made her heart swell. It had been several years since she'd done something like this and it had only been in the simulators or on exercises. She'd excelled at this kind of thing when she'd been at Luna Academy, surprising herself and others with her tactical mind. But then she'd become bored with what had seemed like a mundane task and shifted to the climbing of the social and career ladder at the Hive at ONI headquarters. The restless woman had parked these talents since they'd been viewed as a waste of time and energy.

Yet she'd never forgotten.

The tactical mind that she'd employed to use and toy with men was all coming back to her and she'd never felt more alive, that was except with Mike.

"All right, keep me posted," Ackerson confirmed and began to speak to another of his staff.

Natalia pondered anew the course of her adult life. Much had changed when her mother left and none of it was for the better. The woman had been indulged by her ambitious and absent father and she'd thrown off restraint. 'No' was not a word in her inventory unless it was her saying it to something she didn't want to do. The military had been something to do as a challenge and to meet aggressive men. Yet she'd ended up with MacKenzie Wainwright.

 _How did I end up in this place?_ Natalia thought to herself yet again. But at the core was a pledge that she'd die before she went to work in business with the name Misriah and that had driven many of her decisions the last few years. No, she'd wanted to make a name for herself though hers had stuck with her even at ONI.

Check that, it had stuck with her especially at ONI.

Natalia had liked the privilege and notoriety it had given her and so when she'd wanted to go into the field everyone had been happy to indulge her including her father who'd provided her a modified set of Mjolnir armor that was more of a mech suit. She winced when she thought of how it had broken down on Reach at a critical time putting those she was with in danger. Yet someone had come to help her, _Private Shoemaker_ , she thought, _Josh._ A nice kid who'd wanted nothing other than to help. That had got her thinking about privilege, responsibility and what it truly meant to be part of something bigger than herself.

She'd learned what that meant on Reach from Josh, Noble Team, other soldiers whose name she couldn't recall, and especially Mike.

 _Mike_ …saying his name made her smile as memories flooded in. Despite his anger at the privilege she'd leveraged to get there he'd helped her to not only survive but contribute in contact. She'd fallen for him, hard, and now here she was. She'd come to Mars to find him and when she did…well, that didn't seem so relevant anymore. Yes, they'd reconnected but there were distractions, _like that other Spartan woman_ , she thought. Then it suddenly clicked with her where their best field intel was coming from. It was her. _I don't even know her name, I didn't want to know. And she's now out there putting her life on the line so we can live._ Everything was so complicated. She'd hated the woman because she was a rival and now grudging admiration was creeping in.

 _Focus Natalia_ , she chided herself, as another update came in on the status board. No longer did she have the time or luxury for such idle musing. No, now she had to multitask.

Yet she continued to muse.

Had Mike been why she'd stayed and not evacuated? Of course it was. All this noble talk of wanting to stay and contribute was only a cover for her true intent- to be with him. Yet a new thought entered her mind-it didn't have to be either/or. She could do both. If only she could see Mike.

Then, as if her longing was heard by the Divine, he walked into the command center.

Mike was in his distinctive Mjolnir armor that he'd had on Reach, battered and scraped it suited his non-flashy personality. He'd come in with an ODST NCO missing a hand that Natalia had seen before. Mike had no helmet on and she could tell by his set jaw and intense grey eyes he was focused. He went straight to Colonel Ackerson and began to speak to him. He hadn't noticed Natalia and seemed to be giving some sort of report. Natalia tried hard not to stare at him but knew it to be an exercise in futility, willing him to look over to where she was and see her. She thought to get up and walk over to say hello but instead wanted him to see her.

And then her heart's desire was answered.

As Ackerson spoke to Mike his eyes idly wandered the room, instinctively sweeping it like the Lone Wolf was prone to do. It was the survival instinct that had kept him alive for years. This time it gave him a shock as he saw Natalia eagerly staring at him. His eyes bulged in surprise, and then he blinked, shook his head as is to check and see if what he saw was true.

It was.

Mike finished his report and then leaned over to speak to the ODST. The NCO grinned while looking over at her causing Natalia to turn red faced in embarrassment. Then with a wink the sergeant turned and walked out of the op center.

Without pretense Mike came walking right over, a look of confusion and excitement etching his face. "What are you doing here Natalia?" he exclaimed incredulously.

"I wanted to stay and help," Natalia answered, suddenly feeling awkward under the Spartan's intense stare.

"Weren't you supposed to be evac'ed?" Mike asked, still wondering if what he saw was real.

"I chose not to," Natalia answered with a shrug, trying to appear cool but yet her hands shook as she waited for the reply from the man she loved.

Mike looked at her, still in a state of shock, and then a smile began to form on his face. He considered what he'd thought about her when the Covenant had attacked and he'd been proven wrong, just like he was wrong about the engaging woman's feelings after Reach. He had to consider the issue between them had not been her but him and his misguided pride. Could he look beyond his own prejudice, beyond even the pressure of war, and see her for who she perhaps really was? Despite the imminent threat from attack Mike felt his heart melt anew.

"I'm glad you stayed," Mike stated, feeling his breathing become shallow despite the edge of imminent combat.

"Me too," Natalia answered, her voice dropping as she drew in close, placing her hand on his forearm.

Despite being in armor Mike felt that electric thrill of contact and remembered before when they'd connected as she stood beside him, looking up with her captivating emerald green eyes.

"So, you like my new Ops O?" Ackerson interjected, catching both of them off guard and breaking the moment.

This time it was Mike who became red-faced. "Well, sir, I mean…," he stammered, stepping away from the woman who boldly stood her ground, staring unabashed at him.

"At ease, Mike," the colonel declared an easy grin on his face that caught the Spartan off guard. "Misriah is now our operations and combat controller. Who'd have thought someone from ONI could be so useful?"

"She's part of the command team?" Mike asked, still reeling from seeing her again.

"And a damn good one," the colonel responded enthusiastically.

An alert warbled on Natalia's board indicating a new development. Despite the magnetic draw of Mike being so close she switched back. "We have an imminent threat coming from the west," Natalia reported.

"Talk to me," Ackerson yelled despite being beside them.

Natalia paused for a moment to ensure she had the correct information. "Sir, we have it appears twelve inbound Phantoms with fighter cover heading this way."

"Attack in force?" the colonel responded, emotion entering his voice.

Again Natalia paused to assess. "Negative, it appears to be a probe."

"How do you know? If this is it I need to shift assets to protect the city. We can't be wrong on this one, Misriah."

Natalia stood her ground, confident of her assessment. "Because there's no apparent movement of any ground assets, plus there's only one wave. Covenant protocol is to move in multiple waves for airborne insertion or at least be moving with ground forces in kind. There's neither of those happening."

Mike realized his mouth was hanging open at what Natalia had just shared. He was incredulous at her quick assessment and tactical grasp. He checked her monitors and concurred with the assessment. He then stared at the beautiful woman who gave him a sheepish grin in return, averting her gaze despite the confidence she'd shown moments before.

"All right then, we hold position and meet them in kind," Ackerson declared, accepting the assessment. "Mike, get your Wolf Pack spooled up. I'm releasing you now to bolster the outer defenses. Hold the line."

"So no QRF? We're going in first strike?" Mike asked eagerly.

"That's right Spartan. Get it done son I'm counting on you."

Mike snapped a quick salute and turned to walk out but paused and looked at Natalia.

"Great job on the assessment, Tali," Mike stated enthusiastically. "We can talk more when I get back."

He'd called her Tali for the first time since Reach. Natalia desperately wanted to hug him but knew she couldn't. "Thanks. You take care of yourself," she said instead.

He smiled though a look of intensity caused his eyes to go cold in anticipation of combat. "I always do." He slammed his helmet on and walked away.

"Please Mike, take care of yourself," Natalia whispered, "I don't want to lose you again."

"So what are we looking at, boss?" Matt called out twenty minutes later as the Wolf Pack's Falcons thrummed towards their projected point of contact with the Pelicans carrying MacGregor's ODST's not far behind.

"We've got a significant force inbound," Mike reported. "We're going to intercept and try to keep them outside the city limits."

"Force 'em online and roll them back?" Adam confirmed.

"Exactly. We thin them out, then 556 rolls 'em up."

"Tactical situation?" Alissa asked coldly, an edge to her voice.

"Bringing up a holo of the AO right now," Mike confirmed though something in the woman's voice caused him to take a hard look at her while he retrieved the information. "We've got a flight of Longswords inbound from Kenosha that should push the Covvies to the ground outside the city. We then intercept and thin them out before they hit our lines."

"All right, let's just get on with it," Alissa retorted tensely.

The aggressiveness of her response gave Mike pause for thought. Though always a bit testy the female Spartan seemed even more tense. He made a mental note to speak to their medical officer when they returned to make sure the medication his team members took was balanced. The Gamma Company Spartans had been pretty good thus far but the added stress and stimulus of combat might be enough to cause them to become unbalanced, something he didn't want. Again he couldn't help but be angered at the brain-altering agent that had been introduced as part of the augmentation of the children who made up Gamma Company. He understood the no-win position of their training commander that led to him doing it but he was livid anew at the system that led to it in the first place. He pledged he'd do what he could for them.

"Wolf Pack Actual, this is Cutlass Lead, over," a voice with a Chinese accent interrupted his thoughts as the commander of the inbound Long Sword flight made contact.

"Go ahead Cutlass Lead, this is Wolf Pack," Mike answered, pushing aside his personal thoughts since it was time for action.

"We have the Covenant force on scope, Phantoms with a small flight of Banshees in support. We're about to engage, suggest you keep your inbound flight back so you don't get caught up in the action," the Air Force officer suggested. "We'll push them down, you do the rest. We'll then keep the air clear for you."

"Sounds good, Cutlass," Mike answered, happy for the top cover, "happy hunting."

"You too," the Air Force commander responded, then over the open channel he said to his group, "All right Cutlass, let's get to work. Tally ho!"

Mike couldn't help but chuckle at the ancient admonishment for entering combat still used to this day but then got down to business. His tactical display showed the aerial engagement so he looked to see where they should land. An area with good cover and fallback appeared and instinctively he knew that was where they should land. Setting a waypoint for their pilot he instructed him to land the Wolf Pack.

Moving efficiently from the Falcons the Spartans could see the sky in the distance come alive already with the fireworks of aerial combat. Mike knew he'd picked correctly but also didn't have a lot of time to get set.

The Lone Wolf didn't need it.

With a seasoned eye he knew where to maximize his assets and began to place the team. Still, it wasn't as simple as he would have liked. The issue of Adam freezing in their last encounter was still on his mind and he wondered if the teen would be able to overcome his anxiety. If he couldn't he'd have to get rid of him. He liked Adam and hated the idea but the operational efficiency of the team came first. He prayed it wouldn't come to that.

Still, Mike knew he also had to be practical so setting Alissa and Terrell up as a fire base he then paired Maia with Matt and he took Adam. No one said anything but he could tell as they moved into position the others were wondering the same thing.

They didn't have long to muse on the issue.

"Wolf Pack Actual, this is Cutlass Lead," the Air Force commander called out. "We've forced the attacking elements to the ground and were able to destroy one transport. We'll keep the rest of them off you but won't likely be able to give any ground support. We've got our hands full. Over to you."

"You've done more than enough. Thanks for the assist, Cutlass. We've got this," Mike answered, happy for the bit of good news. Then he switched his focus to the Wolf Pack. "All right guys, its show time. Look sharp and remember, we don't have to beat them right here. We've got some ground to work with."

To reinforce the comment, their HUDS began to light up with red contact markers.

A wave of Grunts came screaming and waddling over the rise in their field of fire. Terrell opened fire with his GPMG, mowing the lead elements down like grass. The Unggoy scattered in panic at the efficiency of fire though some hid behind rocks and let loose an ineffective return salvo with Plasma Pistols and Rifles.

A momentary standoff ensued but was not long lasting. Teams of Jackals moved more carefully into position and began to pepper the Spartan position with methodical fire. Hiding behind their arm-held energy shields and using boulders as cover the Kig-Yar were seeking to flank the Wolf Pack position. Matt and Maia saw it coming though and shifted position. Maia coolly toggled the scope on her BR55 Battle Rifle and used precise shots, finding the small opening the avian attackers hid behind to take several out while Matt more aggressively charged in and used his shotgun to overload the shield's system and then batter a pair more down with the butt end. Though their tactics differed the pair effectively pushed the avian attackers back on their heels. For Mike's part he led with a grenade, disrupting the Jackal's attack pattern and then behind the shielding of his Mjolnir amour charged in among them to batter several to death with his Assault Rifle.

The assault had been stopped in its tracks but Mike knew this was only the opening probe, the main battle was coming. He didn't have long to wait. With a roar a group of Brutes came charging over the crest of the hill right towards the Wolf Pack position. Mike was ready to meet the attack head on but something caused him to pause and look back. Adam was not with him, instead the teen stood transfixed and frozen a dozen meters behind him.


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

 **October 21, 2552, 1147 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike checked his advance as the roaring Jiralhanae pressed in. The Lone Wolf had been used to dealing with these kinds of situations but the past several months he'd been trying to recondition himself to work as a team. So now the conflict of history versus intent caused him to stop. A salvo of purple and green plasma bolts slammed into him draining the shielding on his armor. The alarm claxon went off and he could see in his HUD the shield was depleted. In frustration Mike was forced to pull back to cover and allow it to regenerate.

The Wolfpack's position had been well laid out but the inexperienced team couldn't afford one of its members not doing their part. Though holding the Spartans were in danger of being overrun. They needed some backup.

"Wolverines, this is Wolfpack Actual," Mike called over the comms, using the new call sign used for Gunny MacGregor's ODST team, "we're hard pressed here and could use some backup."

"No can do," MacGregor responded in his distinct Scottish drawl, "bastards got a bunch of Ghosts backing them up. We're being pressed ourselves holding your flanks intact."

Mike could hear the distinctive sounds of combat coming through MacGregor's channel. Despite the sound-dampening of the microphones installed in the ODST's helmet it was obvious they were already in close quarters. It appeared as if the Covenant attack was more than a probe considering the ferocity of the assault.

"Hang tough then gunny, we'll sort it out."

"What about whistling up some of the boys from the 556?" MacGregor asked.

"Break, break. This is Losantiville Forward Control, be advised you have more inbound hostiles."

Mike recognized Natalia's voice right away as the woman interrupted their conversation to be the bearer of more bad news.

"Copy that, Forward Control," Mike acknowledged. "This is Wolfpack Actual. Can you give estimate of force size, over?"

"I make force size at ten Phantoms plus escort, ETA to your position ten minutes," Natalia reported.

Mike swore to himself. Despite the cool voice of the woman he thought he could distinguish a slight hitch of emotion and realized just how she must feel. Still, the pressed team leader had no time for more than a nano-second of thought. "Acknowledged Losantiville Forward Control," he confirmed then shifted his focus. "Wolverines, looks like we need to wrap this up fast before the Covvie's reinforcements arrive."

"Roger Actual, we'll hold the fort, good luck clearing the kill zone," MacGregor answered.

The Wolfpack were alone in this fight as he knew the ODSTs faced their own as well.

Using their distinct red Plasma Rifles the Brutes pushed hard to overwhelm the Wolf Pack's position. Grunts rallied and came streaming in like locusts, shouting and firing their Plasma Pistols indiscriminately but causing chaos on the battlefield. The Brutes concentrated their fire and red-orange bolts of plasma sizzled in pushing Maia and Matt back, forcing them into a defensive posture. Jackals with Beam Rifles reappeared on the periphery, using several rocky outcrops on the rise to start to snipe away with their ionized hydrogen rounds adding to the confusion. Terrell was tied up with the mass of Grunts coming down the center and additional Brutes pushing over the rise in disciplined bounds. Despite the high rate of fire from his GPMG they steadily were compressing the Wolf Pack's position.

The Spartans needed more, to regain the initiative, or they'd be swept up when the additional force arrived and Mike knew it. Something had to be done to shift the tide.

"Adam," Mike yelled desperately over the comms, "we need you. Get your head into the game."

Adam had been frozen in place. Ironically his inaction had caused him to be forgotten in the frenzy of battle. Fortunately the teenaged Spartan had been standing beside a boulder bigger than him so his SPI armor's camouflage ability had allowed him to blend into the surroundings.

Thoughts of his family's murder filled Adam's mind and wide-eyed he relived them. He knew what he had to do, knew what he wanted to, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The frustrated teen felt like he was having an out-of-body experience as he watched the armed warrior unable to respond, to fight back, to protect his friends.

His friends.

In the recesses of his mind, almost like a drunken man, something Mike has said started to speak to him. At first it was only a whisper, but then it became a shout: _you have the chance to fight back, to avenge them. You never have to sit back and let anything like that happen anymore. You're a Spartan._

You're a Spartan.

As if a barrier were broken, the concept came screaming into Adam's mind, first taunting but then the voice changed to one of challenge and then finally inspiration.

"I'm a Spartan!" Adam roared.

A Brute less than ten feet away reacted in surprise at the shout coming so close by since he'd missed the human warrior camouflaged against the rock. The Jiralhanae turned and with a sneer spotted the teen so moved in for the kill.

This time rather than freeze a rage grew within Adam that had been building for years. He raised his MA5C Assault Rifle and emptied a full mag into the gorilla-like creature.

Like a flood unleashed Adam became a raging killing machine. Everything he'd held back came pouring out and like a scythe of death he ferociously worked through the collection of Brutes, Grunts and Jackals like a whirlwind.

The others in the team saw this, as did the rest of the attacking force and the Wolfpack used the surprising development to counter the attack and press the advantage. Maia and Matt came out of the cover they'd been forced behind to counterattack, catching a group of Jackals who were setting up to try to concentrate Plasma Pistol fire on Adam. Terrell kept up a steady sweeping rate of fire from his GPMG keeping others from entering the fray.

Mike hesitated, not sure what he was seeing, but then knowing his young 2ic was back in the fight he did what he did best, create his own form of battlefield chaos. The Lone Wolf charged into the midst of a throng of rallied Grunts cutting two down with a sweeping burst from his Assault Rifle then beating two lifeless with the butt end of the weapon. The other Unggoy scattered and ran away screaming. A Brute did step in to try to stop him. The Jiralhanae bellowed in anger, backhanding Mike with a meaty paw and sending him staggering back but the Spartan maintained his balance and pushing off against a rock jutting out of the ground charged back at the Brute. Lowering his shoulder he hit the surprised 8 foot tall Jiralhanae square in the midsection. The _whoosh_ of air escaping the gorilla-like creature could be heard as it doubled over. Mike then drove his helmeted head up and under the chin of the attacker causing it to flip onto its back. In one smooth motion Mike drew his Magnum pistol from its holster and put three rounds into the Brute's skull.

The Covenant attack had been stopped and the Wolf Pack was now starting to push them back.

In the fog of war Adam didn't notice a Brute Captain move out of cover to approach him from the rear. The small red command flag the attacker wore on his back snapped in the breeze as the shaggy Jiralhanae deftly flipped his Brute Shot so as to bring its curved bayonet to bear.

 _Crack crack_

The bark of Alissa's SRS99 sniper rifle sounded and two 14.5mm rounds slammed into the Brute's head as Adam continued on with his killing spree.

With the Wolf Pack aggressively pushing out and allowing the Covenant forces no opportunity to rally they weren't sure what to do. More importantly, with their captain dead there seemed to be little in the way of leadership. The Grunts in the force had already scattered and the Jackals slipped away to fight another day so the remaining Brutes were left with no option but to retreat in disarray.

It took Adam two full minutes to realize the battle was over. He looked around wild-eyed for another target and then realizing it was over for now slumped down in exhaustion at the exertion. He stood with his hands on his knees, panting, gasping for air, a pile of dead attackers surrounding him and a swath of destruction evident from where he'd come out of his fog.

Mike watched from a distance after ensuring the area was secure and smiled broadly, a sense of paternal joy filling his heart. It seemed the teen had finally defeated his demons. As the rest of the team surrounded Adam to congratulate him the Lone Wolf knew he had other more pressing matters. They'd discuss later what happened but for now he needed to ensure they were set for the next attack. "Wolverines, this is Wolf Pack Actual, sitrep, over," he called to MacGregor.

"All good sir, we held the line," MacGregor reported to Mike's relief. "Were you and the wee bairns able to handle things without us holding your hands?"

Mike laughed. "Yes, it's all good. Everyone did great." He looked over at Adam who was obviously pleased and that made him grin. Once again he thought to himself that it was good to be part of a team.

"All right then, what's the plan?" MacGregor asked.

"We got more inbound so we need to reset and be ready for them," Mike answered, mind processing at the same time the tactical situation. "We need to push up to the ridge line a bit more and get away from this bowl we're in."

Once again Natalia entered into the open channel conversation.

"Break, break. This is Losantiville Forward Control to Wolfpack Actual, over."

"Go ahead Control, this is Wolfpack."

"Be advised that Covenant secondary force is withdrawing and moving back to their primary position."

"Is this confirmed Control or is this a repositioning?" Mike asked, surprised the usually aggressive invader would pull back so easily.

"Roger that," Natalia confirmed. "All are withdrawing. Seems like your buffer zone was too good for them; it was a wall. Pull back and return to base. Pelicans are inbound to pick you up. Confirm, over."

"Solid copy Control, standing by for extraction." Something about the report didn't sit right with Mike. Though he was happy for the note of relief in Natalia's voice that they were coming out it still didn't make sense that the Covenant would pull back like that. He'd table that until they got back, for now he'd bask in the success of his team.

The Spartans and ODSTs returned to base in high spirits. There'd been no casualties and this had been their first stand-up fight. Although for the combat veterans in the group it was still little more than a skirmish it had been a valuable test none the less of how they worked together and the tactical abilities of their new leader.

While the rest of the Wolf Pack bantered happily back and forth in the Pelican on the way back Mike separated himself to assess what had happened. There was little really to consider in the end. He'd picked a decent location for the time he had to plan and laid out his assets effectively. Adam had been the question mark but after a shaky start he'd more than held his own.

Mike's mind drifted in the vacuum towards thoughts of Commander Carter, as it seemed to do a lot with his new appointment. He wondered what the leader of Noble Team would have done in this circumstance. Though they hadn't known each other long a bond of mutual respect had developed that on Mike's part had grown after the man's sacrificial death to allow him and Emile to deliver the valuable AI Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn. Mike wondered again what had happened. He'd heard rumors that the Master Chief had somehow gotten involved in the situation and Cortana had been safely delivered to UNSC command. The Lone Wolf hoped so. He wondered if the cost of a true leader like Carter was worth it. Would people think about him that way when he was gone?

Mike wished he'd had the opportunity to speak to the man, to learn more from him as he now led his own team. Leadership was a tremendous and difficult calling few found themselves ultimately qualified to embrace. Still, it was desperately needed; men and women of character who would step up and embrace their Divine-given calling to lead. It certainly was the legacy of history.

The Lone Wolf tabled such deep thoughts as Losantiville appeared beneath the troop transport. He could see the orderly flow of war materiel travelling out from the manufacturing district to the distribution points. All along the way Martian police were ensuring smooth movement which meant so far they were winning if you could call it that.

The Pelican flared and touched down with feather-light precision at the Special Operations Center that now acted as their base of operations. When the ramp lowered the Wolf Pack disembarked and headed happily towards their barracks to clean their weapons and gear.

Adam was pleased with how things had gone. Initially the same fear and gridlock had overcome him but then he'd been able to break out. He'd fought well and that made him happy. There were still lingering doubts about how he would perform but a greater confidence was building. Still, something bothered the thoughtful teen as the other members of the team had congratulated him _. I might be finally fighting as a member of the Pack and not being a liability but I'm a long way from being any kind of a 2ic,_ Adam thought, his happy spirit deflating like a balloon losing air _. Mike has to carry the whole load himself, I'm still doing nothing_. The thought discouraged the insecure blond haired teen and doubt entered in anew. _What did he see in me? I shouldn't be in this role, I'm holding everyone back._

"Adam, can we do a quick debrief?" Mike asked before the teen Spartan could enter into the barracks.

As if sensing Adam's insecurity Maia patted him on the back as she went by. The thought comforted him but he dreaded what his legendary team leader would have to say.

"So, how do you think things went out there today, Adam?" Mike asked.

"I'm sorry I froze again, but I think I've gotten over it," Adam replied, avoiding eye contact.

"We'll get to that in a minute," Mike countered, a twinkle in his eye, "I mean how did the flow of battle go based on our distribution?"

"Sir?" Adam was confused by the question.

"If you're going to be the team's 2ic we need to work on your tactical ability," Mike explained, trying hard not to be amused by Adam's discomfort. "These are times for you to learn and grow as a leader."

Adam couldn't believe it. Mike still had faith in him. Despite his poor performance the Lone Wolf seemed to have no doubt about his role or ability. The teen's heart soared as a broad grin of relief came over his expressive face. This man who'd faced years of combat, who was perhaps only surpassed by the Master Chief in experience, believed in him and continued to see something in him. Adam realized if this were the case it was time he started to believe in himself. The Lone Wolf would not do anything simply to protect his ego now that they were in combat, he couldn't afford it. No, he'd pull him in a minute if the job couldn't get done or the team would be put in danger.

The rest of the debrief turned out to be a joy for Adam, even the discussion of his freezing in the initial stages of the battle. Things had changed and would never be the same again.

Mike found himself quietly happy as he prepared to enter the team area. He knew Adam was struggling and needed to come out of his shell but their conversation he believed had done it. Carter would be proud of him. As the Lone Wolf he'd never had to think about these types of things and certainly on the surface this new role seemed more complex but the chance to help the members, Adam especially, see their potential and grow gave him a satisfaction he'd never experienced. The situation was still dire and none of them might make it out but for the first time the former brooding man decided to live life to the fullest and that included his time with Natalia Misriah.

Putting his assault rifle down in preparation to clean it he was shocked to see the very woman in his thoughts enter the room.

What are you doing here?" Mike asked, trying hard not to give the wrong impression of what that meant.

Natalia flashed the smile that still caused him to melt like being hit with plasma. "I wanted to give you an update and also congratulate you on behalf of Colonel Ackerson." She turned to the team, "Well done Wolf Pack. You not only hammered the Covvies but discouraged their reinforcements from actually entering the fight."

"Thank you ma'am," Adam responded for the others, all smiling at the compliment.

Mike was amazed at the poise and confidence Natalia projected. He'd never really seen that before since so much of it in the past had been fabricated. There had been a certain charm to her awkwardness on Reach but this new personality seemed to draw him like a magnet, especially when she looked at him with unmasked affection, her deep emerald green eyes sparkling.

There was an awkward pause as the two seemed to read each other's minds, forgetting for a moment others were in the room.

Alissa brought things back into focus. "Okay, thanks for the pat of the back," she stated briskly, receiving a surprised look from the rest of the team including Matt. "But what's going on? What's the big picture here?" she questioned aggressively, stepping towards the ONI officer.

Natalia was a bit surprised by the passion in the young Spartan's expression but held her ground. "Updates aren't good," she confessed. "We have reports that a larger Covenant fleet has come out of slipspace and is prepared to join the fight both here and on Earth. Also, Earth's ODP hedge has been broken."

"There's landing happening on Earth?" Maia asked quietly as the jovial mood died in the room.

"Yes, they're confirmed but so far our defenses seem to be holding their own," Natalia countered, trying to sound positive.

Mike remembered similar optimistic reports from Reach and he shook his head in disbelief, a heavy feeling overpowering his spirit. Now he knew why the Covenant forces had pulled back earlier in the day. Reinforcements were on the way. "Thanks for the update Tali, and thanks for your help today, you did a great job," he added, trying to shift focus.

"Thanks," Natalia beamed, spontaneously reaching out and touching his forearm. "I need to get back to control, but can we talk later?" she asked, not caring anymore who heard or what they thought. It seemed the urgency of war broke down all pretenses.

"Sure, anytime that works for you. You can find me here," Mike replied.

Natalia left and Mike turned to face his team seeing Matt and Terrell with goofy grins on their face at the scene.

"What?" Mike asked, face reddening a bit in embarrassment.

The rest of the team burst out in raucous laughter at his expense but Mike didn't care.

The lightness of the moment didn't last for long.

"Man, that sucks that Earth's been invaded," Terrell commented somewhat absently. "I never thought that would happen."

"Me either," Maia admitted.

"Yea, its one thing for them to be fighting here," Adam added, "but Earth? I can't believe it."

"What do you think genius?" Matt cut him off bitterly, "That they'd settle for Mars? This planets nothing, they can bypass us if they want. If Earth gets glassed it's all over."

Mike was amazed at how quickly teenager's emotions could flip but then he was reminded these were also Gamma Company Spartans so they were getting some help with the intensity from their altered mental state.

A sense of forlorn seemed to blanket the previous optimism and joy at victory. None seemed to want to make eye contact with the others, a growing fatalism building.

But not Alissa.

The fiery Spartan pushed past her teammates to take center stage in the room. _"_ Let no one here question our place in human history," she recited passionately. "That we are here right now is not a coincidence or accident. It is our fate. And this war, our birthright, our legacy. Our generation was born to fight the Covenant, and you, my fellow soldiers, were born for this very day. Today the enemy will hear the roar of humanity, and they will fear us." She looked around, sucking her breath in deeply, trying to keep her aggression and anxiety under control. Those words were spoken by Colonel Akono Menteith to 12,000 men and women on May 10, 2545. My dad was one of them. Does anyone care to remember what happened on that date?"

"The Battle of Actium," Maia answered quietly.

"The Battle of Actium," Alissa confirmed. "And does anyone know what happened at that battle?"

"The UNSC forces were slaughtered," Matt responded glibly, receiving a glare from the passionate Spartan.

"They sacrificed themselves to stop a seemingly unstopped Covenant horde." Glaring at Matt she added, "And they did."

"We heard that speech before", Matt commented, "like two weeks ago. So what?"

"My dad sent me a holo of that speech right before he was killed. I memorized it and then I volunteered for the Spartans."

"Nice speech, very inspirational," Matt stated sarcastically still missing the point the others seemed to be realizing.

Alissa moved like a cobra and grabbed Matt hard by the armor causing the bigger man to be startled. Everyone else became quiet. "You still don't get it do you?" she shouted passionately. "Get it through your thick head- that's why we fight!" she stated emphatically. "Let them hear our roar. This is our day! Everyone's going to die someday; we choose how we'll meet ours. There's lots of ways to define victory for us but let them hear our roar and fear us!"

Adam stepped up beside his teammate. "Yea, let them hear our roar. Whatever's going to happen is going to happen. We choose how we let it happen."

"Let them hear our roar," Maia added.

"Let them hear our roar," Terrell chorused.

All then turned to stare at Matt who stood suddenly looking awkward and not nearly so strong. The youth couldn't make eye contact but watched the floor. Then he began to slowly nod his head in agreement as he raised it to meet the eye contact of the rest of the Wolf Pack. "Let them hear our roar."

"Let them hear our roar," Mike added, joining the rest. "Wolfpack!" he shouted.

The sound was heard as far as the motor pool.


	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

 **October 21, 2552, 1015 Hours, HIGHCOM Facility Bravo 6, Sydney, Australia, Earth**

Margaret Parangosky was still processing all the news and the residual shock of it left her in a high state of agitation which she didn't like either. The Covenant's discovery of Earth was really an inevitability after Reach but still, it was disconcerting. Her death and the destruction of humanity were not really on the scheming woman's agenda. She still had much to accomplish so didn't have time for this situation. It was sobering but there did seem to be guarded optimism from what had been discovered on the recovered AI Cortana, Catherine Halsey's AI Cortana, the admiral reminded herself.

Another source of agitation. This was going to be a long day.

Halsey was reported lost on Reach and Parangosky hadn't shed a tear. She never had liked the upstart scientist. _Too ambitious for her own good_ , the admiral thought to herself. _Yes, she's given us the Spartans_ , Parangosky confessed to herself _, but that hardly made things even._

Serin Osman continued to give her briefing including the report of the new Covenant force and the break of the Orbital Defense Platform wall. Thus far the only landing had seemed to be in Africa, in the New Mombasa area, but more were sure to be expected. Parangosky wondered if the captain knew she wasn't paying attention. If her aide did she didn't give it away. _An admirable character trait,_ Parangosky thought. These things were of little concern since they were outside of her control. Still she politely ignored the stream of information before shifting her focus to something more important.

"Did all our people make it off Mars successfully?" the admiral asked, signalling it was time to talk about things relevant to ONI.  
"Yes ma'am," Osman reported. "The last transport left late last night. We have confirmation from Commander Sullivan. All were on save one."

"Who was that?" Parangosky's eye's narrowed; surprised by the statement which was something she never liked to be.

"Lt. Commander Misriah."

"What?" the still-dangerous 91 year old woman shot back in shock, unable to contain her surprise. The admiral hated to show that emotion which made her even more hazardous.  
"She stayed behind voluntarily," Osman answered, catching the surprise and knowing as well how dangerous the head of ONI could be when that happened, "according to Sullivan."

"Do we know why?" Parangosky asked, suspecting the reason already.

"Sullivan said she wanted to stay behind and try to help. She figured she could be more use there."

Parangosky snorted. "As if. Dear Natalia is likely staying there to be with that Spartan." She paused to think for a moment. "Any response from her father?"

"No ma'am," Osman reported. "There's been nothing from him thus far."

"Black Box," Parangosky declared imperiously.

The formless AI appeared as a blue-lit cube in an instant above the head of the ONI chief's lacquered desk. "Yes admiral, what can I do for you?"

"You know already."

"I wouldn't be much help if I didn't, now would I?" the AI responded smugly.

"You'd be more help if you kept your personal opinions to yourself and did as you were told," Parangosky snapped. "Tell me what Misriah's doing currently."

Really admiral?" Black Box shot back, surprise in its voice. "At such a time as this you're still interested in that silly girl? Come now, don't you have better things to do with your time?"

"Enough of that; find what I want."

It seemed as if the AI sighed in resignation as its featureless avatar hung over the expensive desk. "Very well. It appears as if she's joined Colonel Ackerson's command team."

"Any contact with her father?" Parangosky asked, wanting to do deeper.

"Yes, there was an interstellar communication right after Commander Sullivan gave her the evacuation order."

"Play it for me," the woman ordered.

"Unfortunately that's not possible," Black Box confessed, almost seeming to turn red with embarrassment.

"And why not?" the admiral asked, leaning dangerously towards the avatar.

"Because if you recall Spanner Misriah has his own Smart AI and I confess Niccolo is very good at security protocols," Black Box admitted reluctantly.

"Interesting," the old woman responding, steepling her fingers in contemplation. "We may be able to use some of this to our advantage."

"How is that relevant when your species is facing extinction?" Black Box asked, somewhat incredulously. "And I might add myself by default. I may have a short life span but I have no interest in it being shortened prematurely."

Parangosky smirked in amusement, filing that bit of data away too. "It's about information, the most powerful commodity out there."

Serin Osman was shocked and dismayed at the admiral's reaction, though in retrospect she shouldn't be. Margaret Parangosky was always looking for an edge no matter the circumstances. It was as natural to her as breathing so why would something even as big as the invasion change that?

"Very well," Parangosky stated, signalling a shift in focus. "Now let's see from all this information how we can help the council actually stand a chance of winning."

Margaret Parangosky was nothing if she wasn't a multitasker.

 **October 21, 2552, 1950 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Mike felt the tension rise as the hours clicked by. The idea of waiting for something to happen was foreign to him. He was used to being on mission, to taking the initiative. So waiting for the Covenant to attack was something he didn't like. Intellectually the seasoned Spartan knew that every hour that went by was more war material moved out of the industrial city and more civilians evacuated off planet.

But where would they go? To Earth? Earth was under assault as well. So was any place safe? Was there any point?

Mike knew it was pointless to ponder such things; it was beyond his scope, even if he were a Spartan. He and the team were on a ten-minute call up so weren't allowed to stray far. Some had gone to the mess hall to get something to eat, others to the gym to work out. They had all their gear and ammo laid out ready to go and two Falcons were standing by to move them if needed.

So all they could do was wait.

The teenage Spartans seemed to adjust to this better than Mike did, but then they'd also experienced a lot less than he had. He prayed they never would. The veterans mind inevitably drifted back past Reach to the years behind him. So many dark moments, so much blood. He'd done so much, experienced so much. Was there any possibility of a life beyond that? Was there any point? With Mars and Earth under attack it seemed like a certain inevitability was unfolding.

"Mike?"

The man's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a familiar and pleasant voice calling him back from the horrors of his past.

"Mike!"

The urgency in the voice called him back to the present and he realized it was Natalia who'd come to call.

"Are you okay?"

Yes, the future was cloudy and uncertain for Mike Nantz but that didn't mean he couldn't seize the moment and squeeze every bit of life out of it that was there to be offered. It was time to stop being so fatalistic and grasp what was before him.

"Yea, I'm fine, just a little distracted," Mike answered, allowing Natalia's probing look to consume him.

"Are you busy or do you maybe have some time to catch some fresh air," the beautiful woman asked with a clear note of expectancy.

"We're on a short call up," the look of disappointment on the woman's face caused him to curse himself for his clumsiness, "but that doesn't mean I'm chained to my desk. Let's grab a couple of cups of coffee from the galley and go for a walk."

The radiant smile on Natalia's face showed the offer was pleasing to her, though in truth anything at this point would likely have been well received.

As the pair walked out their headquarters with cups in hand Mike stuck his head in the armory since he heard the sound of activity. As expected he saw Maia in there cleaning her armor. He'd come to expect that from the quiet Spartan. Though she talked little hers was a stabilizing force for the team that he was starting to learn to rely upon.

Instinctively the teen turned to see her commander in doorway. "Sir?"

"Just heading out for some fresh air," Mike replied, impressed anew at either her hearing or instinct. "I have my comms piece if anything comes up."

"No troubles sir," then surprisingly the usually reserved teen gave him a slight wink and added, "have fun."

Mike was startled by the comment then realized Natalia was in the shadows of the hallway. Face reddening slightly he responded with a chuckle, "See you soon."

Maia was amused by the response of the Lone Wolf. She looked over at her commander's ceiling-mounted Brokkr Armor Mechanism used for him to get in and out of his Mjolnir. That Mike Nantz was a fierce warrior there was no doubt but the thoughtful girl also saw a sensitivity and vulnerability that caused her to ponder him anew. Returning her focus to her own SPI armor she took a rag and polished the Mirage helmet then the bulbous armoured faceplate also looking for any cracks or signs of stress. She really liked Mike. It was obvious he cared deeply for the team but in particular his patience with Adam touched her deeply and caused her affection for him to grow even more. The Lone Wolf's emotions had not been a hindrance to the team, if anything it likely made them better. She'd always been cautious and so kept hers in check. Despite the mind alteration that had happened to her and her fellow Gamma Company members she'd been able to keep hers under control likely the best of all of them and with minimum doses of the 'Smoothers' they were prescribed. The injustice of it didn't bother her, she rarely thought of it, besides, this was war. As she shifted her focus to the PLMO battery in the back of her chest armor her mind drifted towards the news of the day. The power cell was still near full so she let it be. She'd heard that New Mombasa had been invaded by the Covenant. It had been a long time since she'd been home.

 _Home_ , she thought to herself and her nostrils flared with anger. Grabbing the self-sharpening hyper-dense combat knife from its sheath on her back she realized she could hardly picture the city and cared even less what happened to it. Despite all her efforts to suppress them painful memories came flooding back in. Memories of her mother lying lifeless, eyes fixed open in horror while her father stood raging above. Maia's breathing became ragged and erratic as she desperately tried to backpedal from the horrifying recollection.

"What ya doing?"

Matt's presence and question snapped Maia out of the horror of memory. She'd never been happier to see her sometimes obnoxious teammate. Sucking a breath through her teeth she responded, "Just working on my amour."

Though Matt wasn't the most perceptive Spartan even he could see the more slender, brown-eyed teen was upset. "You know we have armorers for that right?"

"I know, I just don't trust anyone one hundred percent with something like this." Maia was trying hard to project her usual cool, unemotional image but her body quivered and eyes were glassy.

"Hey, you okay?" Matt asked spontaneously, moving in closer and squatting down to the level she sat. Despite his attempts to be annoyed with her, especially when she sided with Adam, he found himself drawn to her. She was cute, he had to confess, but that wasn't it. She had a calm, steady demeanor that brought balance around her and in fact calmed him in a way he'd never felt before. So despite his best efforts he found himself caring for her so to see her obviously hurting became upsetting for him.

"No, I'm okay," Maia responded defensively. Then realizing her teammate had picked up on her emotions quickly lied, "I think I'm just having a reaction to the cleaning stuff I'm using."

"Okay, I'm glad to hear it." The big Spartan paused for a moment, as if measuring his words or considering whether or not to speak. Then, the boldness of his character won the moment. "I know you, like, talk to Adam, but, I mean, you could also talk to me if somethings bugging you, okay?" Matt told her awkwardly.

Maia was deeply moved by the obvious concern of her combative teammate. They'd clashed a lot lately, especially over Adam's leadership, but this was a new side of the assaulter who was built like a bull she'd not seen before. "Thanks Matt, that means a lot, truly." She spontaneously reached out and touched his forearm which caused the inexperienced teen to open his eyes wide in surprise. That touched Maia and she continued, "I do have some things on my mind but I'm good. But maybe someday we'll talk about it."

"All right, Matt answered, feeling a strange warmth he'd never experienced. "Just know that you can count on me."

Mike and Natalia left the non-describe manufacturing building that now served as their base entering into the cool fall air. The early evening sky was clear and a hint of frost was already upon them. Crisp and refreshing, it would have been the type of night that could lift the spirits if they'd not been at war.

"You did good today, Tali," Mike opened the conversation.

"Thanks, it's nice to contribute and not have to have a babysitter," she responded.

"You weren't that bad," Mike answered, clearly understanding the drift of her reference.

"I was more than bad, liar," Natalia responded, playfully punching his muscular arm. "I was a liability."

"But you rose to the occasion and did a great job."

"Only because you helped me." Natalia clutched his hand and stopped him. Her heart soared at the affirmation and throwing caution to the wind decided to seize the moment. Grabbing his firm chin she pulled it down to softly kiss him on the lips.

Mike liked it; it reminded him of their time together on Reach. Part of him wanted more, but another part still held back. He remembered her leaving, albeit forced, he also remember the holo reports Melanie had showed him about what she'd been doing on Earth. He needed to be sure before he let go.

"Why'd you stay, Tali?" he asked, pulling back, using his height to look down at her and assess the answer.

"You know the answer, I told you already," Natalia answered, mind already trying to figure out how to respond. "I stayed so I could help out." _Stop it!_ Her mind screamed, _tell him the truth_. The proud woman took a deep breath and confessed, "But you know that's not why I really stayed. I stayed to be with you."

"But why me?" Mike emphasized. "I mean Reach was amazing and all but you went back to your old life. You could have anybody or anything you want? Why would you stay for me? I'm expendable, nothing more than a tool of war."

"Not to me you're not!" Natalia shouted, throwing her coffee cup away in anger which startled both her and Mike. Tears filled her eyes and she choked, "You're not! Get it through your thick head you idiot! I love you! I choose you! I don't want anyone else; I don't care about anything else. My old life was a sham! I saw that when I went back. That's why I found you. That's why I came here! That's why I stayed!" As the words spilled out of the woman's mouth she began to beat on Mike's chest in frustration at his apparent ignorance.

Mike grabbed her hands and held her away. Natalia responded with a look of rage and fought back but the muscular Spartan easily held her at bay which infuriated the now crying woman even more.

"Let me go!" Natalia screamed. "You're such an asshole! Will you ever get it? I hate you and I hate myself for loving you!"

In one deft motion Mike took the protesting woman in his arms and kissed her deeply. Pulling back he still held her tight but looked at the quivering woman who now stopped fighting.

Mike held the position, looking deep into Natalia's emerald green eyes. She didn't retreat but waited with a sense of anticipation. He plunged back into her mouth and they began to kiss with an unbridled passion, tongues eagerly exploring each other's mouths. They wrapped each other in their arms and Mike held her crushingly tight but the muscular woman embraced the closeness. Despite the clothing and jackets they wore a new warmth filled their bodies as they hungrily sought to consume each other. Then, reluctantly, they broke the clench though continued to hold on at arm's length.

"Do you still hate me?" Mike asked playfully, jumping now fully into the moment.

Natalia laughed. "No, but you're still a jerk," she added teasingly, punching him on the arm.

"You're right, I am," Mike confessed, suddenly serious. "I'm sorry I just didn't want to hope, I just couldn't believe that you would…,"

"Shh," now it was Natalia's turn to quiet Mike. She put a finger to his lips and then reached up to kiss him again. This time it was slow and methodical, tongues again probing but in a more methodical fashion, savoring the taste and texture the other had to offer.

"It's been a while," Natalia confessed breathlessly after they broke the clench.

"I know," Mike agreed, head swimming. "I'm glad you came, and I'm even gladder you stayed."

Natalia's face lit up at the confession and Mike smiled in response. The pair held hands and continued to walk in silence, each savoring the precious moment.

Part of Mike wanted to leave, to just run away with the beautiful woman and not stop. He'd never had a life of his own, never even knew what was possible, and now a tantalizing prospect had been opened to him.

But he knew he couldn't.

A sense of responsibility kept him from such a selfish act. For years it was duty to the UNSC that kept him going, drilled into his head countless times by Chief Mendez at Camp Currahee but since the summer that had faded away and something far more powerful had replaced it- a sense of duty to team. First his time with Noble Team and now his leadership of the Wolf Pack kept him going. He'd lost his family years ago when the Covenant had attacked his home planet of Kholo and now in a way he felt like he had a new family. Yes, he would stay and fight to the best of his ability for them. The question though remained- what to do about Natalia and his feelings for her? How could he integrate them into this sense of calling? The answer still seemed beyond his grasp but for the time being he'd enjoy the moment.

Natalia's head was still swimming. The kiss had been intoxicating, taking her back to their times together on Reach. Though she tried not to, the analytical woman couldn't help but compare kissing Mike to MacKenzie. Images of what she'd done of late filled her mind; repulsion caused her to flinch slightly. Then as if clouds broke and the sun radiated through, the power of the moment blew those thoughts away and she was left with a warm sensation that filled her whole body.

This is what it felt like to be in love.

Yet all things considered it seemed a foolish emotion to indulge, Natalia thought, considering the pressure on Mike and the reality that they might all be dead the next day. Yet the very thought that drove her mind to scream _pull back_ also caused her heart to encourage her to live in the moment because with the right person that could be a lifetime in itself.

Natalia knew which impulse she'd follow.

The pair walked mostly in silence, still hand in hand, enjoying each other's company. Despite the circumstances there no longer seemed to be any sense of urgency. The kiss had been words enough.

Finally, reluctantly, the reality of their circumstances crept back in.

"Time to get back," Mike stated, more speaking to himself than the woman beside him who was now the center of his world.

"I know," Natalia answered, still happier then she'd ever been. "It's okay. We're together and we'll figure this stuff out."

Mike smiled happily and put his arm around her, giving a gentle squeeze.

"I love you, you know," Natalia declared.

"I know." Mike paused, weighing his response, he looked at the beautiful woman before him, wide-eyed, longing for a response but not pressing for one. He knew he loved her but now he felt as if he was allowed to love her. "I love you too. I've loved you for longer than I was willing to admit. I'm sorry, I…,"

"No more, darling." Natalia once again put a finger on his lips to silence him. "None of that matters anymore. God knows I have lots to be sorry about." She looked away suddenly aware of the divide between them in that department. Eyes filling anew with tears she confessed, "I have a hundred-times more to say sorry to you for."

Now it was his turn to silence her. "It doesn't matter to me. We're here now, and that's all that matters."

Mike reached down and kissed her anew, feeling the salty sweet tears. This was not the animal, passionate kiss like before but long, slow and tender. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they broke.

"What do we do now?" Natalia asked huskily.

"I don't know," Mike confessed, uncertain but no longer anxious. "We seize the moments we can and take it one day at a time."

It was then each realized a moment could last a lifetime.


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

 **October 22, 2552, planet Earth**

The Prophet of Regret had bitten off more than he could chew. Though the San'Shyuum leader had been able to penetrate Earth's orbital defenses and land with his main ship in Africa little else had gone well. His force was too small to be a serious threat to the planet and so while they could go toe-to-toe with the human forces there was an inevitability to the equation.

While the Prophet of Truth had been busy reorganizing the Covenant by displacing the Elites with the Brutes in their hierarchy Regret had quietly slipped away with his own personal force of fifteen ships in search of a portal to take him to the legendary Ark, the Forerunner installation that would allow for the activation of all Halo rings. The ambitious Prophet had discovered the location of the planet holding the promise of a cleansing of the universe a year earlier while ransacking the planet Meridian which housed a portal to the sacred location. So once organized he set out with great religious zeal with the Fleet of Sacred Consecration to seize the portal and activate it.

The only problem was that planet turned out to be Earth.

Unaware and unprepared for the array of forces against him Regret still pushed on doggedly to reach the Forerunner site he desperately sought, lodged below the city of New Mombasa in Africa. Yet the human forces were too many despite the religious zeal Regrets forces fought with. In the span of mere hours the Covenant forces faced annihilation.

Help was about to arrive for the beleaguered Covenant forces, but it would be far from welcome.

Soon after he'd left, the Prophet of Truth learned of Regret's brash and foolhardy move. He too had learned of Earth's location but had been more methodically preparing. His plans had been dashed by the Spartan commando raid on Unyielding Hierophant earlier in the year which destroyed the fleet he'd been massing. Truth then tabled the invasion plan for the time being in order to consolidate political power and reorganize the Covenant.

Being apprised of the situation and now sitting as the ruling Prophet Truth sent a massive fleet, commanded by the Jiralhanae, to Earth to pick up where Regret had left off and punish his fellow Prophet. Facing obliteration Regret's forces were compelled to retreat. It was then Truth's fleet arrived.

Several remaining ships from Regret's fleet were still under the command of the Sangheili. Once Truth gave the word, the Jiralhanae in Truth's fleet forcefully overtook these Elites and assumed near-complete control over the battle not only above Earth, but also on the ground, slaying any remaining Sangheili stationed on the planet at will.

That completed, upon further orders from Truth, the Brutes aggressively deployed significant infantry directly into the city of New Mombasa to pick up where Regret had left off while holding the human forces at bay until Truth's reinforcements arrived.

While Truth's forces began to systematically destroy the human defenders around the location of the portal there were other matters of consolidation that needed to be dealt with.

 **October 22, 2552, 0645 Hours, Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser** _ **Triumphant Declaration**_ **, in orbit over planet Mars**

Lepidus' lips formed into a snarl as he watched the Phantom dropship glide towards his battlecruiser from the fleet of ships that had arrived earlier. The ambitious Brute had been initially overjoyed when he'd received the Prophet of Truth's command to purge all Elites from the fleet and had given the order personally.

But now he'd been informed he was to meet with the Shipmaster commanding this new fleet to devise a strategy for the conquest of Mars, as if he didn't have a plan.

Lepidus didn't like it but was pragmatic enough to keep it to himself though others of his bridge crew didn't have such restraint.

"Why are others coming?" Mygaeum spat out angrily, "as if we need help from other packs." The hulking Brute's shoulders rose and fell as his anger grew. "This is madness," he spat out. "No, an insult to us."

Lepidus has the same opinion but kept it to himself. "Patience, my friend. We'll see what our new leader has in store and how these new arrivals fit into the picture."

"Our new leader?" the second-in-command retorted. "Truth is likely as foolish as Regret. We could have levelled this planet and been halfway back to Doisac by now if we didn't have to follow the whims of the oh so great prophets."

"Careful what you say, Mygaeum," Lepidus warned, "You never know who might be listening."

Mygaeum snorted and waved his shaggy arm dismissively but held his tongue.

"But not to worry, my friend," Lepidus soothed, "we are on the ascendancy. The time of the Jiralhanae is coming."

"Yes, but which pack is on the ascendency if we have to share glory with another thus arrived?" his clan mate declared.

Lepidus had no answer for that since the same question was on his mind. They'd soon find out.

In short order the Phantom was efficiently docked in the landing bay of the battlecruiser. Lepidus decided to make them come to him so waited on the bridge. So the newly arrived command party was escorted to the bridge so the two Shipmasters could confer in a holo-conference with the Prophet of Truth.

The wily Brute sized up his potential rival. The newly arrived leader was half a head taller and a bit wider but had the dull look of one who did what he was told rather than innovate for himself. Or at least that's what Lepidus surmised from his first assessment.

"War Chieftain Castor," the grey bearded Brute who was taller than average introduced himself brusquely. "This is my second in command, Orsun." This dark haired Brute shadowing his master stood even a half-head taller than Castor and was thicker through the chest. The Jiralhanae said nothing but glowered at those on the bridge.

"Praise be to the blessed Forerunners," Castor began, "we will be working together to cleanse this planet of the Infidels then will discover the sacred artifacts lodged within.

"Will we?" Lepidus couldn't help but reply. The religious zeal of the other Shipmaster was not only obvious but a bit off-putting. "I have things well under control," he stated, fixing an unblinking look at the leader, "but if you wish to assist in my efforts you'd be welcome."

Rather than take the bait Castor responded with a blissful look. "We'll see what our most excellent and gracious leader wishes." Then turning to one of the members of his command party he asked, "Is the link ready?"

"Yes my chieftain."

"Excellency, we are here and awaiting your instructions," Castor called out, as if appealing to a deity.

A moment later the holographic image of the Prophet of Truth appeared in the center of the command deck of the ship, startling those of the crew who were caught unexpected, including Lepidus himself. Mygaeum let out a startled yelp which brought a thin smile to the face of the hulking Orsun.

"Ah, my dear Castor," Truth responded imperiously, sitting on a floating disc, "I see you have linked up with Lepidus. Good." The San'Shyuum seemed to size Lepidus up which made him feel less than comfortable.

"What is your bidding, my master?" Castor asked, dropping his eyes reverently.

"Regret was a fool to attack the human's home world with such a small force, risking the sanctity of the holy relics," Truth declared, ignoring the question for the time being. "This I can assure you is now being remedied."

There was a rumble of anger towards the Prophet of Regret from Castor's assembled group.

"By now news of the purge of the Sangheili has been sent out," Truth continued. "It's time to purify our forces."

This caused both Lepidus and Castor to nod their heads in agreement.

"Our forces have now arrived and begun operations on the planet known as Earth. Thankfully Regret's bungling has not caused us much difficulty. Of greater import is that an artifact of glorious proportion has been discovered and work to restore it has begun."

"All glory to the Forerunners," Castor rumbled in approval.

Lepidus nodded his head in feigned approval, then after a reverent pause got to his point, "How are we to proceed with the conquest of this planet, Excellency?"

"The Sangheili from your fleet must be purged to purify it, Shipmaster," Truth declared imperiously. "Only then will the blessings of the Forerunners rain down upon us and the Great Journey completed."

"It has been done, excellency," Lepidus reported to Truth's delight. "When I heard the order for the fleet attacking the human's home world I took the initiative to do so with my fleet."

"Well done, Shipmaster," Truth responded enthusiastically, looking as if he was viewing the Brute in a new light. "Nothing stands in the way or our Reclamation now."

"My Master Pack will sweep aside the infidels and reclaim the precious artifacts for you, Excellency," Castor butted into the conversation, cutting off Lepidus.

Mygaeum looked at his Shipmaster, anger evident at the slight but held his tongue.

"What is your wish for the structure of leadership to reclaim this planet?" Lepidus asked diplomatically, though fixing a stare on his rival.

"Castor and his fleet will take overall control of operations on this planet."

A rumble of dissent rose up from the members of the bridge crew overhearing the conversation which was not lost on the prophet. "Shipmaster Lepidus, you will continue and expand your operations where you currently are," Truth stated "And Castor and his pack will open a new front. Together you will sweep aside the vermin and cleanse this place so we may purify it. I will return to the main task at hand but will be in constant contact with you. Do you both understand my wishes?"

"Yes, Excellency," Castor stated, falling to one knee and bowing his head.

"As you wish it, so shall it be done," Lepidus declared, giving a bow of the head only which received a glare from his rival.

"Good, then let us begin in earnest," Truth responded blissfully. "I will be monitoring your success."

With that the holo image faded away and only the two competing Brute clans remained.

"You heard our leader's orders," Castor stated, filling his chest with air. "You will advance your efforts immediately and hesitate no longer. I will take my ships to the other side of the planet and open a new front. I will leave two ships here to assist you."

"We have sufficient numbers for the task at hand," Lepidus declared, balling his hands in fists.

"We shall see," Castor responded officiously. "Regardless, they will stay and be at your disposal."

"Be your spies is more likely the case," Mygaeum stated under his breath though his chieftain heard it.

"Very well, good hunting to you," Lepidus answered knowing arguing was futile.

"Yes, you as well, Shipmaster, glory to the Forerunners," Castor answered then signalled his pack and without another word left the bridge.

"Now what?" Mygaeum asked, still seething from what had happened when the others had departed the bridge.

"Nothing has changed," Lepidus answered calmly though there was a distinct note of anger in his voice. "We wait for the opportunity to advance our cause and our Pack in this new order."

 **October 22, 2552, 0730 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

"You called for me, sir?" Mike asked Colonel Ackerson, throwing up a quick salute. The senior officer seemed distracted so didn't respond to him. Rather than answer he seemed engrossed in a tactical display. Mike noticed Natalia was not there, perhaps she hadn't reported yet.

"Sir?" he repeated.

"Oh, sorry Mike," Ackerson responded. "Seems General Sheridan wants you in on this morning's briefing. He asked specifically that you be here."

"Do you know what it's about?" Mike asked, curiosity piqued.

"No idea but we'll find out soon enough." As if on cue a communications alert pinged. "Bring it up on screen, corporal," Ackerson ordered to the communicator on duty.

"Good morning, Jim," Sheridan greeted without any emotion. "Glad you could join us Mike," he added which seemed to cause Ackerson to bristle.

"What's up, sir?" Mike asked, deciding not to become involved in the political game.

"A new Covenant fleet has entered into orbit," the military governor of Mars stated, showing why he had no joy. "This one is four times the size of the one we're already facing."

The unexpected declaration caused a chill to enter the climate-controlled room. Mike couldn't help but think of Reach anew but held his tongue.

"I'm confident we can keep our evacuation lane out of New Harmony open but these new forces could overwhelm us on the ground," Sheridan continued, not waiting for a response to the news or seeking one. "The attacking force on Earth as well has been reinforced right at the time we were about kick the bastards out. Things are escalating here people."

"So what's the plan then, general?" Ackerson asked trying not to show his shock and dismay at the new development.

"If we sit back and let them bring the fight to us we're screwed so we need to mess up their existing command and control assets on the ground," Sheridan responded then turned to the Spartan. "Mike, you'll take the Wolfpack, RV with one of our reconnaissance assets on the ground and remove their upper echelon command."

"Sir, the Wolf Pack is a vital part of our security operations here with the evacuation of Losantiville," Ackerson protested.

Mike noticed Natalia walk into the room. A startled look came over her face as she realized he was there. Though she reddened slightly betraying her surprise and delight at seeing him she kept it in check, only nodding slightly.

"I realize that colonel but understand this is a higher priority," Sheridan countered, unmoved by the statement. "You have adequate resources to protect your lane plus you have the Wolverines as QRF." Ackerson tried to interject but the general cut him off. "Besides, if this mission comes off successfully that'll eliminate pressure on your region as a result. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," Ackerson answered though his displeasure was evident.

"Good." Sheridan was ready to move forward. "Mike, you'll RV with our asset, code name Whisper, at the location I'm sending you. I'm uploading the mission briefing to you now."

That got Natalia's attention and Mike couldn't help but look at her out of the corner of his eye. He felt the disapproving look despite the lack of good line of sight.

"You got that?" Sheridan asked, catching the Spartan's shifting look even through the holo screen.

"Yes sir," Mike answered, embarrassed by the obvious distraction.

"Good. I want your team skids up in sixty minutes," the general stated. "Good luck son, we're counting on you. And Jim, you hold the line. We'll get through this."

"Yes sir," Ackerson confirmed, knowing he had little other choice.

"Okay then, keep me apprised. Sheridan out."

Ackerson faced Mike. "Okay then, you heard the general. Turn your team out and get it done. Good hunting." The colonel returned to the tactical table to mask his displeasure at the turn of events.

Mike left but he went past Natalia who hadn't moved since she'd overheard the mission order.

"You okay?" he asked.

"What do you think?" she responded, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Tali…"

"Mike, I'm sorry," she cut him off. "It's not your fault, I know. I'm just mad at the circumstances."

"Which one?" Mike asked, pulling himself back emotionally from the woman.

"All of them," she confessed. "I don't like you going on this mission and…"

"And?"

"And I don't like you being in that kind of situation with that woman," Natalia admitted.

Mike opened his mouth to retort but held his tongue. He tried to see things from her perspective so rather than respond angrily he tried a different approach. "I can see that, it makes sense," he acknowledged.

"Thanks, I don't want to think this way," she declared, appreciative of his understanding. "It's just, it's just…," she stammered.

"Mel and I have history," Mike stated.

"And you have feelings for each other," Natalia added.

Mike opened his mouth again, this time to deny the charge but couldn't. Natalia was smart and she also deserved honesty. "Okay, I do, but they're not like how I feel about you. We go back to the early days; we've been through stuff together. I thought she was dead. I just need to sort all this out. But she understands me, what I'm going through."

"And I don't?" Natalia shot back, irritation flaring anew in the proud woman.

"It's not like that. You do and you know it," Mike stated. "It's just she's gone through augmentation, training. Just the same stuff, that's what I mean."

"I want to understand all this, Mike," the woman stated but her tone showed she grudgingly conceded the point.

"I know you do, and that means a lot." Mike reached out and squeezed her hand for emphasis, causing the woman to smile.

Each knew though this conversation needed to wrap up. Each was on the clock and the seconds were ticking away.

"I'll be monitoring your team channel," Natalia declared. "If you need anything, I mean anything, let me know and I'll do it for you."

"Please don't," Mike shot back, eyes becoming cold.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not in your scope," Mike stated. "You'll be too far out of range to give any real assistance. Your job is here and I also don't need the distraction."

Natalia was hurt by his response so lashed back, "Why, so you can be alone with her?"

"It's not like that, and please don't be this way." Mike sighed heavily in frustration. Everything just seemed so hard for the two of them. "No, I need to focus everything on the mission and my team. I don't want to be thinking about how you're reacting."

Natalia looked down in embarrassment, mortified at how selfish her statement had appeared. _Spoiled little rich girl_. The words came anew to haunt her and she couldn't look Mike in the eyes. "You're right, I'm sorry. I just feel so helpless."

"You'll just have to trust me," the Lone Wolf declared with determination though his look betrayed affection. "None of us can control much these days. We just have to do what we have to do."

"It's not you I'm having trouble trusting, Mike," she stated, irritation again entering her voice.

"So who then?" he asked in exasperation, suddenly preferring to face a Covenant battle group rather than continue in this awkward conversation. "Mel or the Covenant?"

"Both," Natalia confessed in embarrassment.

"Are you jealous?"

"Yes, a bit," the proud woman used to controlling things responded. "I wish I could go out with you, like we did together on Reach."

"Misriah, if you're about done, both you and the lieutenant commander have work to do," Ackerson barked.

"Listen, I'll talk to you when I get back, okay," Mike said, trying to extricate himself from the conversation.

"Okay, you take care of yourself," Natalia answered, knowing they shouldn't talk any further about this when he was going on a mission. But then she added so he'd be certain, "I love you."

Mike paused for a moment then replied honestly despite his frustration, "I love you too."

Both parted but neither was happy with the tension that had suddenly arisen. That seemed to be a constant in this war, or was it just a by-product of their budding relationship that on paper was just so unlikely.

"This whole thing makes no damned sense," MacGregor fumed.

Mike had returned to the barracks and gave his team their warning order to gear up and what kit to draw then went to inform the fiery Scotsman who hadn't taken the news too well.

"I know Hank, there's a lot of frustration with this mission," Mike responded wondering if it was just him that was a catalyst. "The general thinks this is key to slowing the Covvies advance."

"Well then we should all be going out," the ODST sergeant countered more from emotion than logic.

"It's a small party tasking," Mike responded, "You know anything bigger wouldn't be as effective."

"I know," MacGregor sighed. "It's just I hate you and the wee bairns having all the fun."

Mike chuckled. "Not to worry, Hank," but then he became serious, "you'll have your fill of action soon enough I suspect."

That sobered the Helljumper. "That be true enough. You take care out there, sir."

"Sure thing, mom," Mike countered playfully eliciting a snort from MacGregor. He slapped the passionate Scotsman on the back and added, "Hold the fort, Hank. The city's in good hand with you."


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

 **October 22, 2552, 1145 Hours, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The day was overcast and cool though the clouds were breaking and the sun threatened to appear. Mike checked the temperature read-out but it didn't impact him in his climate-controlled Mjolnir armor. Though all the members of the Wolfpack showed up on his HUD he still moved his head to take them in. The team was in a loose tactical column. He didn't anticipate any enemy contact at this point but it was best to be safe rather than sorry. Despite the vastly superior shielding and ballistic capabilities of his armor he marvelled at the camouflaging abilities of the SPI armor the Spartan IIIs wore. The photo-reactive panels the skin was made out of caused them to blend right into the wooded area they travelled through. Though the Mark II suits his Gamma Company Spartans wore had an enhanced ballistic gel layer they couldn't take the pounding he could meaning they had to be used more cautiously. He'd adapted his thinking and tactics to this reality but it was something he often thought about. He'd had Mjolnir like the Spartan IIs wore for years as had Noble Team so he'd just taken it for granted but now being back among the regular IIIs it caused him to think anew as to how they'd been used as cannon fodder and not equipped for the impossible tasks they'd been given. Yes, this was war but there was little compassion for the teenagers used as a mere commodity of war. Mike pledged anew he'd never allow that to happen if he had anything to do with it.

General Sheridan had ordered them to be rolling within sixty minutes and the team's Falcons had lifted off in fifty-seven. Mike would have preferred to do an insertion this close to the enemy in darkness but the time urgency of the task wouldn't allow for it. They needed to be in and out before the dawn of the next day. So instead they'd been dropped 14 kilometres out from their objective in a valley behind a small mountain range and they'd hump it the rest of the way in. Mike didn't mind. He'd picked the insertion point since it would only take them a couple of hours to move to the RV point which he'd confirmed on his HUD's map.

The Wolf Pack had been making steady progress for nearly two hours now. The clouds continued to grow rather than break, showing not everything was in the control of technology. The weather stopped for no one and had no political agenda. Maia had the point and Mike could barely see her 75 metres to the front as she lithely blended into the surroundings. The trek had given him the opportunity to prepare himself to see Mel again. The Lone Wolf had his game face on but he also knew it could be potentially difficult considering his declared feelings for Natalia. He knew the 'Whisper' would be in her zone as well so knew their operational efficiency was not likely to be compromised, but still, it could prove to be awkward. So much had changed in the past couple of months though little had changed in the broader geo-political sense. It was amazing what first one, then two, women coming into your life could cause. Despite all the turmoil, distraction and upset the naïve man still wouldn't trade it for anything. He'd begun to feel things he not only didn't know were possible but also didn't think he'd have the chance for as a Spartan. Fate, or the Divine perhaps, had a funny way of smiling on those whose hearts were in the right place.

Mike realized suddenly Maia had stopped so raised his hand to signal a halt while at the same time calling over the team channel, "Wolfpack, halt. Wolf 3 this is Wolf 1, sitrep, over," he called to her.

"Wolf 1, this is Wolf 3," Maia responded calmly. "Something doesn't feel right ahead. Sensors are good but…it's hard to explain, I think there's something ahead."

Mike knew Elites had active camouflage so realized they could be missed even by his enhanced sensors but still, if they were this far back from the objective that spelled trouble. "Wolfpack, tactical formation. Hold here. Wolf 2, you're in charge, I'm going to investigate."

The team moved like ghosts into position and Adam slid over to take Mike's place. There were still questions about the teen's ability to overcome his prior trauma with the Brutes but all seemed ready to work with him. The two gave nods of acknowledgement and Mike moved forward.

Though he was perhaps not the best candidate for the task due to the lack of camouflage in his Mjolnir armor he also knew if there was an ambush he'd be the best one to trigger it. He moved up then crouched down behind the kneeling Maia who didn't move but looked intently ahead.

"What's up?" Mike asked quietly though his voice was modulated inside his helmet. "What do you see?"

"I don't SEE anything really," the teen replied with a note of frustration, "But somethings not right ahead."

"Explain."

"Okay, see that small stand of trees with the mossy rocks off at 2 o'clock?" Maia also pointed with her rifle.

"Okay," Mike answered, fixing his gaze where she gestured.

"The textures right but the depth isn't," she explained, "it's almost like there's something cloaked in front of it."

Mike saw it and his blood froze. He'd not realized it until the keen-eyed scout had pointed it out. And if she hadn't been paying attention they could have walked into it. He patted the teen on the back, "Good catch, Maia. Wolf 2, bring up the rest of the team, maintain formation."

In less than a minute the rest of the Wolfpack was on the pair's position.

"Good job, Maia," Matt echoed before their leader could speak.

"Thanks," she answered, a cheery note spontaneously coming into her voice.

Mike couldn't help but chuckle despite the tension of the moment. He was glad to see that despite the fact the pair were Spartans they were still teenagers

"Assault formation," Mike snapped back into tactical mode. "Terrell, firebase, Alissa, targets of opportunity. Matt and I will hook left, Adam and Maia, delay, move right and provide support. Let's get it done fast Spartans. Rally point is on the mark I'm setting. Get ready to move."

The team slid into position and tension began to mount at the unexpected assault but despite the youth of the team they moved liked seasoned veterans.

"Wolf 1 and 6 in position," Mike reported, "Wolfpack, confirm."

 _Click, click, click, click._

The rest of the team acknowledged ready by a short comms burst.

"Stand by, on my mark," Mike ordered calmly, flipping the safety off his Assault Rifle.

"Stand down, Wolfpack," a familiar female voice cut in on the team channel, "it's all right, you're not about to get ambushed."

It was Melanie.

The recon Spartan stepped out from the cover she'd chosen and moved towards the team.

"What the hell was that all about?" Mike asked pointedly, irritation rising at the unexpected event. "Why are you so far back? We had an RV point."

"True, but sitting and waiting in my line of work often has less than happy conclusions," Melanie stated calmly. "I figured out your likely point of advance and came to find you."

"You could have gotten yourself shot," Mike countered, angry more at the unstated fact he was that predictable.

"I think you have better fire discipline than that, Michael," Melanie countered which elicited a chuckle from the team and a glare from their leader. "Good job Maia, by the way, at halting when you did," she changed the subject to defuse the tension.

"Thanks, but I had a good teacher," Maia responded, moving two fingers across her faceplate in the Spartan signal for a smile.

"All right, let's get moving," Mike ordered briskly, still angry at the circumstance. "Maia you take point with Whisper Actual."

Mike's former teammate and friend caught the cold tone but decided to say nothing for the moment.

With Melanie leading the way it took the Wolfpack less than two more hours to approach the Covenant base. The Recon Spartan had picked a well-concealed spot as her lay-up point in a notch on the reverse side of one of the hills that flanked the plain the attackers were building up for attack from. A short, well-covered distance led to a ledge which afforded a complete view of the whole staging area. Mike immediately noticed the lack of layered perimeter security which was not untypical for the Covenant. Grunts were too skittish for the task and the Jackals would just drift away. Elites were too prideful to do something as menial as guard duty and Brutes too aggressive to be still for that length of time. The result was it became quite easy to sneak up even on a major base. That was one advantage for the humans.

"Take five but stay ready," Mike ordered, "weapons hot. Whisper and I will check out the lay of the land and then we'll figure out our plan."

It wasn't lost on Melanie that not only had Mike not talked to her during their trip to her bivouac area but also he was now calling her by her nickname. Initially she'd been put off by his brusque treatment since she'd been the one in the field for several days while he'd been back in town comfortable. Still, there was something about Mike Nantz that meant she couldn't stay mad at him. She began to consider things from his perspective. As they got down on hands and knees and crawled carefully into position to observe the Covenant position she signalled him to switch to a private channel.

"I'm sorry Michael for what I did today," Melanie apologized. "That wasn't smart and caused you unnecessary stress."

"Its fine," Mike answered, starting to assess the scene below them watching Wraith tanks being marshalled into position and Phantoms coming and going.

"No, I'm serious, I don't normally work with anyone so don't always realize others may struggle to keep up," Melanie tried to explain but the tone and content came out wrong.

"Hmm," Mike grunted. "Whatever. My team would have made the RV no problem if given the chance." He was still steamed but he wasn't sure why.

Melanie didn't like the tone of his response and that caused her natural aggression to well up. The Spartan suppressed if for a few minutes as she allowed him to assess the situation but then even his silence seemed to belie that he was slow to figure out a plan which she already knew.

"How are things with Little Miss Society?" Melanie spat out, breaking the silence.

Mike turned to look at his long-time friend and despite the visored helmet it was obvious he was measuring his words. "She loves me and I love her."

Melanie snorted, seemingly unphased by the comment, and now looking for a fight. "What do any of us know about love?"

"All right, let's get down to business," Mike stated, trying to focus on the Covenant troop buildup and not take the bait but the tightness of his voice betrayed his own growing anger.

Melanie looked through her binoculars while Mike tapped into his helmet's enhanced magnification system. The comment irritated him but he had to admit it wasn`t unfair. He`d had a confused relationship with both women so needed to be clearer going forward. The thought of the information Mel had shared with him about Natalia and some of the things she`d been doing on Earth bothered him still and the idea there might be someone else in the picture formed an irritant as well. But the Spartan pushed those thoughts down deep inside him since he had a job to do. At the moment a more pressing issue was that something wasn't sitting right with him as he watched the Covenant troops moving about in their base of operation preparing for attack. Then it struck him.

"Where are the Elites?" Mike asked, the reality dawning on him that there were absolutely no Sangheili present in the base of several thousand.

"I know, it's weird," Melanie replied, relieved herself to be off the awkward subject she wasn't sure why she'd brought up. "There were never a lot around in the first place but then yesterday they were just gone."

"Is there maybe a second base opening up?" Mike asked as he watched a group of Brutes officers in cobalt and gold colored armour giving orders.

"Negative, there's just this one."

"Weird. Those are Ultras and Captain Majors giving orders out there. I mean Elites and Brutes don't get along well but they usually work together."

"There was an increase in comms chatter yesterday," Melanie answered. "Then there was a period where there was some small arms fire but I figured it was just marksmanship practice. But after that the Sangheili were gone."

A thought began to form in Mike's mind since he'd never known the Covenant to care about marksmanship. "I wonder if there was some kind of internal takeover that went on?"

"Maybe," Melanie conceded, "but why at this stage? They're attacking our home system. Now's not the time for politics."

"As if that ever stopped someone with ambition," Mike grunted.

"Point taken."

"Regardless, if the Elites are out of the picture that's going to make our job easier," Mike stated, a plan already starting to form in his mind.

"You're right," Melanie caught his drift. "Brutes don't do defense well so we can exploit that."

"Exactly."

"Great minds think alike," Melanie responded flirtatiously, her irritation at the previous conversation melting away in the growing rush of impending combat.

Mike chuckled, finding it hard to stay angry at the enigmatic woman he'd known for years. "Okay, let's get to work."

Returning to where the team had secretly ensconced themselves, Mike explained the plan of attack after a discussion with Melanie as to her ideas. It was to be a two-pronged assault using first sabotage and then a surprise attack to not only unsettle the attackers but also take out as many of the leaders as possible.

"Okay, so we wait for cover of night then Matt, Maia and I will infiltrate the camp and set our detonators at these points," he tagged the key spots on the image he'd taken and was using as a tactical map. "Two hour ignition time which will allow us to get back and relocate into our assault positions. The rest of you are on overwatch. If we're discovered you'll be our rally point. Questions?"

"You're going in to set the charges?" Melanie stated more than asked.

"Yes, why not?"

"Wearing that tin can?" she stated pointedly.

"So what?" Mike shot back.  
"Listen, stealth is not one of your strong suits," the Recon Spartan countered. "That area's way too tight for you to get in and out undetected. I'll take Matt and Maia and we'll do it."

Mike opened his mouth to protest but the logic of it made sense despite the fact he'd done this kind of thing at least a dozen times in the past. He was now a team leader and needed to use all his resources effectively. "Okay, makes sense," he conceded. "Mel, you'll lead the sabotage team and I'll stay back here on overwatch."

Melanie flashed a brilliant smile of appreciation at being listened to.

"Two person security and observation teams on two hours rotation," Mike ordered, signalling all was set. "Everyone else eat and get some rest. It's going to be a busy night."

As day gave way to night both Mike and Melanie had plenty of time to think as the Spartans went into the mundane routine of waiting for the action to happen. The age-old soldiers challenge of hurry-up-and-wait hadn't changed over the centuries and certainly hadn't in the 26th century despite all the technological advances. The Gamma Company Spartans in particular had difficulties regulating the idle time in their agitated state but fortunately Mike had been sure they brought an extra stock of meds and ensured they took them to balance them out.

For the human attackers fortune was on their side as clouds rolled in to obscure whatever light there was. Several hours earlier Melanie had begun to prepare the charges with Matt who acted as the team's demolition's expert.

The plan was simple. Maia and Melanie would move under cover of darkness and plant both timed charges and ones with remote detonators at strategic locations throughout the Covenant base and then return to their staging area. Matt would provide close-in cover and protection for the mission. If they were discovered or compromised a fall-back location had been prearranged and they would abort but all prayed that wouldn't happen. Each could see the growing Covenant force and stockpile of munitions and knew the cost of failure.

As it turned out, the three Spartans in their SPI armor melted into the night and placed all the charges without the Covenant sentries being any the wiser. Returning to the staging area the human attackers had only to wait for the timed charges to go off.

"Everything set?" Mike asked quietly over the comms despite the fact all wore helmets, the tension of the moment starting to grow.

"They won't know what hit them," Melanie snorted in response.

"Good job, guys," Adam encouraged Matt and Maia, patting them on the back.

"Hey, a walk in the night with a pretty lady is always a fun thing," Matt commented flirtatiously.

"Aw, that's sweet," Melanie shot back, playing along.

"I didn't mean you, ma'am," Matt replied seriously, looking in Maia's direction.

Despite the fact the teenage Spartan wore a helmet Mike could swear he saw her visor redden slightly. "Okay everyone, stand too." The time for such distractions would have to wait. "Move into position, the charges are going to go off soon. There's no time or need for a pep talk here. We know what we need to do and why, so let's buy more time to get the civvies off planet. Let's get it done Wolfpack. Good luck everyone, I'll see you all at the RV point."

"Wolfpack!" the team all chorused in unison then slipped off into the night.

Mike and Melanie were left alone.

"It's kind of weird," the female Spartan commented.

"What is?" Mike asked somewhat absently, starting to focus on his part of the plan since his was the most dangerous.

"Finally being in combat together."

"Yea, we'd talked a lot about what that would be like, didn't we?" Mike responded, being taken back to their time together on Onyx.

"I'm glad we're getting a chance to finally do this."

"Me too."

"Mike…," Melanie began cautiously but stopped.

"Yes," he responded, not sure where this was going.

"I'm sorry for what's happened to us…all of it," she apologized. "I'm sorry I didn't reach out and I'm sorry for how things went down since we reconnected."

"Me too." Mike reached his hand out into the darkness and felt hers, taking hold of it and giving it a squeeze.

"I wouldn't want to be doing this with anyone else," Melanie commented, squeezing his hand back.

"Thanks, me either." A beeper went off in Mike's helmet signalling the action was about to begin. "Show time," he declared, releasing her hand and returning it to the comfort of his Assault Rifle.

The wait lasted on two more minutes.

 _Boom Boom Boom_

The three charges went off in short succession destroying the tranquility of the night and sending blue-orange fireballs in the air. Secondary explosions began to go off as stored plasma in the weapons caches ignited and went off. Confused shouts filled the night air as the Covenant forces responded to the surprise attack.

 _Crackl_

 _Zip_

A black and red armoured Brute Chieftain's head snapped back and exploded as a 14.5x114mm armor-piercing sabot round sizzled through the air and went through it. Two more officers met the same fate from Alissa's sniper fire before others went for cover and began to reorganize.

"Gotta love the fact Brutes have no shielding," Melanie commented grimly to Mike watching the scene through her binoculars.

The Lone Wolf said nothing but patted her on the back as he moved from cover and towards the scene of the battle.

Terrell's GPMG open fire the same moment with a steady staccato causing more of the Covenant force to duck for cover and many moved right to where the Whisper had anticipated. Adam and Maia added select fire to the symphony of destruction from their position covering their teammate's fire base. Meanwhile Alissa continued to systematically find targets of opportunity that she coolly dispatched while Matt provided cover for her. Perhaps most surprising was that the aggressive Spartan silently watched the action, covering her and not participating. Their truly were a team. The concentrated fire had a devastating effect and it took nearly ten minutes for the Covenant to regroup and prepare to counterattack.

Melanie had been patiently watching this situation develop, waiting for the right moment for the next phase of the plan. Seeing a dozen Brutes organize nearly a hundred Grunts and Kig-Yar Skirmishers that time arrived. The Recon Spartan took her remote and clicked it causing another charge to go off near where the counterattack was being organized. Adjusting the device she did this two more times setting off charges in spots she'd figured their enemy would take cover as they tried to regroup from this next surprise attack.

"Now your turn, Wolf," Melanie called over the comms.

Mike came out of cover and charged into the chaotic scene to stir things up even more. First he scattered a group of Grunts who'd gathered on the edge of the camp to get away from the chaos. They squealed in terror and scattered as the armoured juggernaut charged through with Assault Rifle blazing. Four Jackals who'd been inching away from the scene of the explosions tried to form up to face the charging Spartan when they realized what the now disorganized Grunts had faced but were too late. Mike brought the butt end of his Assault Rifle across in a sweeping motion to stove in the beak of the first one and then in one smooth action raised the weapon up high and savagely smashed down on the skull of another. One of the remaining Jackals squawked in panic and wildly fired several shots from its Plasma Pistol. One of the blue supercharged plasma bolts though hit its companion instead, splashing it square in the chest. Mike ignored the oversight and instead fired a four round burst into the remaining Kig-Yar that sent it flying backwards.

Now in killing machine mode the Lone Wolf continued to race the length of the camp tossing grenades and firing his weapon in a manner to not only inflict destruction but also disrupt the flow of the base. Moving in random patterns and using the dark of night to come in and out it appeared as if he was everywhere and nowhere in the Covenant base of operations at the same time. A golden helmeted Brute captain tried to stop the Spartan and rally those around him. His shiny clan pauldron though glowed in the light of the fires burning in the camp. With a roar it raised its Gravity Hammer high not only to strike out at the human but also to rally the disorganized troops around him. A dozen Grunts were emboldened by the move and began to form until Mike threw a grenade into the middle of them and unloaded a full clip into the open maw of the Brute. The captain's head exploded despite the helmet and the explosion the next moment from the grenade set off a chain reaction as two of the Grunt's methane tanks ignited as well only adding to the chaos.

Mike didn't catch any of it; he was nearing the end of the base and his mission and already looking for a final target of opportunity. He spotted it about thirty meters to his side. The distinctive Jiralhanae ceremonial helmet and black and red armor was a dead giveaway despite the fact the Brute Chieftain was actually trying to move away from the Spartan's tidal wave of destruction. The Lone Wolf did a quick calculation of how much time he had and seeing still no formed resistance knew he had the opportunity to go for it. Still running he slapped in a fresh mag and opened fire. The now retreating Brute yelped in pain as the 7.62mm rounds bit into him. The chieftain turned to fight, capping off two fragmentation grenades from its Brute Shot. Mike was moving too fast and the fragmentation grenades exploded harmlessly in his wake, only adding to the bedlam of the moment. Despite the reinforced chieftain armor the Jiralhanae wore it was not enough for the precision fire of the rapidly advancing Spartan. The chieftain called out for assistance and while three other Jiralhanae tried to rally to his aid it was too late. Mike moved in close and slapping his Assault Rifle onto his back drew in one smooth motion his Magnum pistol from its holster finishing the senior officer off with three rapid shots between the eyes. The Brute was dead before he hit the ground.

The other enraged Brutes gave chase with the death of their Chieftain so Mike figured it was time to pull out before his luck ran out. He led the chasing Jiralhanae into a wall of lead from his team that allowed him a clean break from the scene of carnage.

"Wolfpack, pull back!" Mike ordered once he'd finished his sweep of the camp. "Mission accomplished. Rally at RV point, move now, acknowledge."

"Wolf 3, pulling back."

"Wolf 2, acknowledge."

"Wolf 5, shutting it down," Terrell called as the cacophony of his GPMG stopped.

"Wolf 6, covering 5's withdrawal; see you at the rally point," Matt called out as part of the plan.

There was a brief pause then the air was punctured by one more crack of a sniper rifle and a moment later the sound of the round finding it's mark.

"Wolf 4, solid copy," Alissa acknowledged, her voice ice cold, after finding one last target of opportunity

"Wolf 1, moving out," Mike reported, "Whisper Actual, see you at the RV."

"Copy that," Melanie responded, "don't miss me too much."


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

 **October 23, 2552, 0345 Hours, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The Wolfpack moved carefully through the night but in reality could have walked in the open and not been accosted. The surprise of their attack had been complete and a response was hours away from being organized.

Melanie was the first to arrive at their rendezvous point and greeted each with a high five as they came in. The female Spartan felt her heart begin to beat more quickly as Mike still hadn't come in. She thought to call out to him over the comms but discipline held her back. Anxiety and wild thoughts began to fill her mind, a first for the usually calm operator which unsettled her even more but then like a spectre the hulking armoured form of a Spartan came out of the night.

"Miss me?" Mike deadpanned, not knowing how literally true that was.

Melanie punched him playfully in the arm. "Nice job, you did great."

"You too. Your plan was perfect," Mike responded enthusiastically. Then to the rest of the team added, "Fantastic job everyone. That was just amazing. They heard you roar!"

"Wolfpack!" the others thundered in chorus.

Mike couldn't help but smile and he took a moment to savor the feeling. But it could only be a moment. "Golf 2-14, this is Wolfpack Actual, mission accomplished," he reported sticking to the timeframe of their plan. "Request immediate extraction on my mark, over."

"Wolfpack, this is Golf 2-14," a female voice with a South American accent responded, "acknowledged. I have your location and am inbound now. Wait out."

"Rides on the way, people," Mike reported. "Adam, take charge, set up perimeter security until our extraction arrives."

"Copy that, sir'" the team's 2ic answered and went about his work.

As they waited for the stealth Pelican to arrive there was little to do.

Melanie had been thinking of the painful minutes she'd spent worrying if Mike was well or not. Despite not exactly sure what to say or even why, she knew she had to speak. "Listen, Mike, I was out of line about the love comment, I'm sorry. You deserve to love and be loved. God knows we all do with all we've gone through. It's just…"

"What?" Mike asked, caught off guard by the openness of the woman's comments.

"Be sure it's with the right person, okay?" Melanie stated rather than questioned.

"Why?" Mike tried to read her expression behind the visor of her helmet but was unsure where this was going.

"Because you matter to me, okay?" the female Spartan replied with a hint of irritation.  
"Like brothers and sisters?"

"No, it's more than that." Melanie removed her helmet so that not only would her voice but true but he could see her face. "Listen, I know you have something going with this Misriah chick but you're ahead of the curve on me with all this stuff. I've been so far removed from any emotions or feelings since Torpedo this is all new to me."

"I know what you mean," Mike responded, nodding his head in agreement.

"Then don't be mad at me, okay? A long time ago it seemed like something was starting to happen between us despite all the obstacles that were put in our way and all the shit we went through." Melanie paused and her deep blue eyes were electric, "I felt something for you, and then we were ripped apart."

"What are you saying?" Mike asked, voice dropping as his heart began to pound.

"I'm not sure, I just want to be sure you're doing the right thing and are not going to be hurt," Melanie declared, eyes now filled with compassion.

"Thanks, that means a lot."

The sound of suppressed engines could faintly be heard moving towards their position.

"You coming along?" Mike asked.

"Not yet. I need to do an assessment of the damage for Command. I'll extract soon enough though. Try not to miss me too much," Melanie added playfully.

Mike chuckled as the Pelican flared and landed gently at the extraction point. "All right, see you soon."

 **October 23, 2552, 0715 hours, Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser** _ **Triumphant Declaration**_ **, in orbit over planet Mars**

"What happened?" Lepidus bellowed.

"It appears as if the humans were able to infiltrate our base," the Brute officer who'd delivered the report answered nervously, ensuring he had an adequate buffer zone between himself and his volatile commander.

The Jiralhanae Shipmaster looked over the more detailed report that had come in after the initial alert of the attack had awakened him. The Brute's chest rose and fell as he seethed with rage at what had happened. The proud warrior was particularly incensed by the report that it was a small party of humans who'd been able to do this to his troops.

"How many chiefs and officers perished in the attack?" Lepidus asked trying to calm himself, noting that had been left out of the report.

"Eleven," Mygaeum answered stepping in for the nervous underling, his eyes fixed on the report and avoiding the glare of his chieftain

"Eleven?" Lepidus screamed, spittle flying through the air. "Who?"  
Most notable among the dead were Gennaro, Octavius, Caducius, Tarquin and Horatius

"From OUR clan!" Lepidus exploded anew, outraged at what he was hearing, "Our brothers!"

"Yes sir."

Lepidus ripped a monitor out of the workstation he'd been standing beside and threw it across the deck. Sparks flew and despite the scene the Brute at it stoically stayed at the station though there was now nothing he could do. The member of the bridge crew knew what would happen to him if he left his post.

No one spoke as the Jiralhanae leader processed the information. He raged around the bridge but then after about five minutes finally calmed down. Voice low but menacing he declared, "This will not go unavenged."

The others in the command party are rumbled their assent.

"Shipmaster," Lepidus' communication's officer interrupted, "Shipmaster Castor wishes to speak to you."

Lepidus looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Tell him I'm busy."

"I'm sorry sir, he insists," the communicator countered respectfully. "He says it's to be immediate."

"Fine," the beleaguered Shipmaster agreed.

"Brother, we are making significant progress on the other side of the planet and are looking to link up," Castor reported zealously as he appeared as a holo image in the center of the bridge. "But I've heard you had some difficulty last night." A sly look came over the grey-bearded Jiralhanae. "What happened?"

"The vermin attacked our staging area."

"That is unfortunate," Castor declared soothingly. "I'm sure the Prophet of Truth will understand."

Lepidus could barely contain the curse but would not give his smug rival the satisfaction. "Yes, I'm sure our beneficent leader will be most understanding. But do not worry. This is only a minor inconvenience. I have more than enough troops to accomplish the task. This only sets our timetable back by a few days. We'll link up soon enough."

"Very good, Shipmaster," Castor responded condescendingly. "We certainly don't want any unnecessary delays. The precious artefacts of the blessed Forerunners should not be allowed to wait."

"Humpf," Lepidus snorted under his breath, "they've been there millions of years already, a few days won't make any difference, mongrel."

"What was that, Shipmaster?" Castor asked. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said it shall be done. The blessed artefacts will be secured in short order."

"Excellent! Then I will enjoy your company soon enough," Castor responded enthusiastically. "Do keep me posted on your progress and let's see that there's no more delays, shall we?"

The holo ended without any further discussion and Lepidus was left seething on his bridge. "I will run a knife across that fool's throat and drink his blood someday," he declared slamming his fist onto a workstation in anger

"What now, Shipmaster?" Mygaeum asked, seeking to bring his commander back into focus.

"Enough of this!" Lepidus declared. "I'm heading to the planet to take over operations. Prepare my shuttle."

 **October 23, 2552, 0740 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The ride back to the base for the Wolf Pack was uneventful. The Pelican hugged the ground in the initial stages in case there were any Covenant air patrols but their disruption of the invader's preparations had been so complete nothing was in the air.

Though the team had been gone less than 24 hours and Spartans had more than enough stamina for the exercise they were all feeling the exertion of the action during the time in the field. Each looked forward to getting some food and then some sleep.

Mike was extremely pleased with how the team had functioned. All had performed at the highest level and Adam had been steady and seemed to control his anxiety toward Brutes. Yet something wasn't sitting well with him over their time away. It had been working with Melanie and particularly their conversation. He knew he needed to figure that all out but for now he just wanted to clean his Assault Rifle and get some rest.

Upon landing he saw Natalia come out of the headquarters and move towards them. She had a happy look on her face and while he was pleased to see her he also knew part of him just wasn't in the mood right now for the conversation she seemed to want to have.

The other members of the team ignored her as they walked past which didn't seem to bother the ONI officer turned combat controller but she perked up as Mike approached.

"Welcome back!" she greeted him enthusiastically, her face erupting in a dazzling smile. "Great job out there."

"Thanks," he answered. Something about the fact that she seemed to know what had gone on irritated him a bit.

"Did you see her?" Natalia asked, trying to keep her voice neutral but betraying what really was on her mind.

"Who?" Mike asked, his mind in a bit of a fog from fatigue but then it clicked. "Oh, Mel? Yea, we worked together."

"How did things go?"

"Fine."

"Did you tell her about us?" Natalia pressed anxiously.

"Listen, can we talk about this later?" Mike responded, an edge to his voice but rubbing his temples wearily. "I'm tired and I need to be sure the team's looked after."

"Sure, of course, no problem," Natalia stammered back as Mike walked away without saying anything else. She swore at herself for being so self-centered. All her life she'd been the hub of attention and wasn't used to normal interaction. It appeared as if she had much to learn about being in a relationship which only increased the frustration of the proud woman.

For the remainder of the day the pair weren't able to connect. Natalia was busy with Colonel Ackerson and the task of running the evacuation of Losantiville and Mike was tied up with his team and Gunny MacGregor. While there was nothing that had gone wrong between them each felt a sense of tension that wasn't helped by the white noise of their circumstances.

The couple's situation wasn't aided when Melanie returned from the field the next day.

Natalia watched from a distance as a Falcon brought the Recon Spartan back in after the successful raid. She'd known the woman was returning since she now either co-ordinated or had access to all military movement in and out of the city. So when the extraction call had come in from Whisper she knew exactly when the Falcon would return. The competitive woman wasn't sure why she felt drawn to watch the return of Melanie. Mike had said there was nothing intimate between them, though they did share a common bond she didn't. Still, the energy and confidence of the attractive Spartan intimidated her.

So Natalia watched the scene with a mixture of detachment and interest. Most of the Wolf Pack was out to greet her save Mike and Adam. It was obvious by the way the teens welcomed Melanie they had a lot of affection and respect for her which made sense since she'd trained them in stealth and reconnaissance. Still, that bothered Natalia since she had no connection to the team. The best she'd gotten was a nod of acknowledgement and most treated her with cool indifference. She suspected that many thought of her as an annoying distraction for their commander. If the intelligent woman was honest she'd have to admit part of that was true which didn't help her mood. Natalia loved Mike, loved him in a deep and meaningful way she'd never experienced before. But was that enough? They were fighting a war of annihilation and came from vastly different worlds. Was love enough to overcome all this? She knew she wanted it to but wasn't sure it could.

Then Mike and Adam came out of their barracks area and joined the rest of the team.

Melanie looked right at Natalia then went to Mike giving him a firm hug and kiss on the cheek. This seemed to amuse the rest of the team but did nothing to help the disposition of Natalia Misriah.

Mike hadn't seen Natalia watching them from the periphery and though uncomfortable with how Melanie had greeted him, especially in front of the team, he let it slide. "How are things looking after the raid?" he asked, trying to get things back to business.

"Good. Covvies are still in a state of confusion," Melanie reported, smirking at Mike's obvious discomfort and shooting Natalia another look which caused the insecure woman to return to the headquarters building. Then she added, "It looks like we took out most of their command-and-control echelon since there seems to be no one in charge currently."

"Bonus!" Matt responded enthusiastically.

"Yea, we kicked some ass out there," Terrell added.

"We should have stuck around longer," Alissa countered sullenly, "there were still a lot more of those apes we could have taken out."

"No, it was a well-executed plan," Melanie countered gently. "You never want to push your luck in that kind of situation."

"Makes sense," Adam jumped in, trying to head off his volatile teammate. "It was just nice to take the initiative."

"Well you all did great and I was proud to serve with you," Melanie declared. "I'd work with you anytime."

The teens of the Wolf Pack beamed at the compliment, still flush with their own success.

"I'm starving for some real food," Melanie declared to Mike, "let's go get something to eat."

"Sure, sounds good," Mike answered shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly as the rest of the team were barely able to supress giggles. "Light duties for the morning. Check weapons and ammo states, then gym time. You're all on ten minutes call-up though. Enjoy yourselves, you've earned it."

Adam led the team off laughing and joking among themselves as the pair headed into the building.

In the Mess Hall Melanie filled her tray high with a variety of steaming food while Mike chose to grab only a breakfast sandwich for a snack since he'd already eaten. There were few others in the dining area at this hour but Melanie chose for them to sit in the corner away from everyone else.

For several minutes the Whisper dug into her food with gusto, savoring the meal.

Mike remained silent, watching her enjoy the meal and remembering his own times tasting real food again after an extended period in the field eating ration packs. It was nice to sit here with her, he thought, but there were still some questions nagging away in the back of his mind that he knew he'd need to bring to the forefront and deal with sooner rather than later.

"You're very good with them, Michael," Melanie stated breaking the silence. She continued eating but now looked intensely at him as well.

"What do you mean?" he added, somewhat uneasy by the look she was giving him.

"You're team," the female Spartan answered. "Leadership suits you. You're good at it. The others respond well to you and its obvious you care about them a lot. I always knew you had it in you even if you never saw it in yourself."

"Thanks," Mike answered, embarrassed by the compliment so looked away.

"How's Alissa doing though," Melanie shifted topic, seeing she was making him uncomfortable. "She still seems pretty wound up."

"Yea, I need to talk to the Medical Officer about her meds," Mike answered with a heavy sigh since this was one of the things weighing on his mind. "I'm not sure she's on the right dosage. She tries but has trouble controlling her rage. I can see the struggle she has with it."

"Gammas!" Melanie exclaimed angrily.

"I know. I'm not sure what I would have done if that had happened to me," Mike answered reflectively as he considered anew the mind alteration that had been done to the Gamma Company Spartans in order to make them more resilient.

"The bastards and what they do to us, Michael," Melanie declared passionately.

"It is what it is" Mike answered, shrugging his shoulders. "All we can do is do the best we can with the opportunities before us."

"And are you?" Melanie asked, looking deeply into his eyes, ""making the best of the opportunities before you?"

Mike chuckled, "You know Mel, you were easier to figure out when you were ten."

"But do you like me now?" she countered playfully.

Mike let the question hang, fearing his answer and her response. The observant Recon Spartan was wise enough to let the question drop. She shifted conversation to their mutually shared past which led to a pleasant morning for Mike, who still had a lot on his mind.

Several hours later things didn't get any easier for Mike.

"You let her kiss you," Natalia declared in exasperation.

It had been a quiet day as the Covenant forces were effectively halted by the surprise attack. Material and civilians continued to flow out of the city but this was largely now being handled by the city police and Martian militia. That gave the regular troops and Spartans a welcome breather. After dinner he'd dismissed the Wolf Pack for the evening so took advantage of the opportunity to go out for coffee with Natalia.

Unfortunately for the Lone Wolf he'd almost immediately been confronted with the question about him and Melanie.

"It was on the cheek and she did it before I knew what she was going to do," Mike countered, misreading how upset the woman was.

"And then you went and ate with her!"

"So?"

"So?" Natalia's voice rose, "we're supposed to be a couple! You don't do shit like that."

"Why?" Mike asked genuinely, not getting the implications of what he'd done and how it made Natalia feel. "She's a teammate."

Perhaps he didn't want to.

Natalia sighed heavily and looked up at the ceiling then shook her head. "You really don't get it, do you?"

"No, I don't," Mike shot back more sharply then he'd intended, "but then I don't have any experience at this kind of stuff."

"Yea, not like me, right?" she snarled, hurt by the implications.

"That's not what I mean, Tali," the Spartan tried to counter peacefully but it came out as exasperated at yet again having to gingerly step around the sensitive woman's feelings.

"Then what do you mean, Mike?"

Mike looked down into his cup of coffee suddenly feeling very tired. The thing that had once given him such life now seemed to be yet another anchor dragging him down into the abyss of reality. He didn't have the experience or training for this kind of thing so began to wonder if it really was all worth it.

"Sorry, I didn't think," Mike apologized numbly. "I'll do better the next time."

"I'm sorry too, Mike," Natalia jumped in, reading his mood. Grabbing his hand she added, "I need to not be sensitive and trust you with these kinds of things. This is new for me in a way too."

 _Trust me?_ Mike hadn't even thought of that. There sure were lots of things to be considered in a relationship and more things, he considered morosely, that he didn't know.

"It's okay, Tali," he responded but without much feeling. She held his hand but beyond letting her he didn't do much. The rest of their evening together didn't improve much.


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

 **October 26, 2552, 0915 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

In the end the raid bought them two extra days.

Natalia noticed the activation of the Covenant first as she monitored the remaining planetary satellites and confirmed it with drone reconnaissance. "Sir, major movement of enemy forces from their staging area."

"How many assets, Misriah," Colonel Ackerson asked from his control station in their operations area as the rest of the command center became quiet waiting for the report.

"It looks like all of them, sir," Natalia reported trying to keep the emotion out of her voice.

That declaration sent a chill through the room and all other worked stopped to listen more overtly.

"All of them?" Ackerson asked incredulously.

"Yes sir, satellite and drone coverage confirms the whole battle group is on the move.

"Any projected destination?" Ackerson asked dreading the answer.

"All projections are the same," Natalia said, thinking about Mike and the strife they'd had of late, "here." Suddenly the pettiness of what they'd been arguing about seemed of little value. She wondered if they'd get the chance to clear the air before the coming battle exploded but instinctively doubted it considering all that would need to be done.

"ETA?" Ackerson asked with an edge to his voice, breaking the woman's chain of thought and bringing her back to the moment.

"Thirty-six hours. Sir," Natalia responded.

The colonel closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a moment, assessing the information. "So be it," he declared, then called out, "Major Barrett."

"Sir," the Martian Militia officer who acted as liaison to the UNSC forces responded, coming to stand beside the command console.

"Signal the general evacuation of the city," Ackerson ordered. "We'll hold the lane to New Harmony as long as we can. You and your troops fall back and provide them cover the whole way then connect with your area commander for further orders."

"Then what for you?" the beefy, ruddy-faced Martian asked.

"We fall back to Kenosha and consolidate with the forces there," he replied, knowing that too would only be a temporary reprieve from the coming Covenant onslaught. "Comms," he called out to his signal's officer, "contact General Sheridan and let him know this development, though I suspect he already does."

The remainder of the day and into the next was a whirlwind of activity. The Martian police and militia handled the movement of the remaining goods and civilians while the UNSC forces prepared to hold off the coming tidal wave of attack for as long as they could and also ensure their own course of evacuation.

Natalia's fear became reality. She and Mike scarcely had any time together since both were extremely busy but still gingerly went about their relationship after the stormy conversation they'd had earlier. Fortunately for Mike, Melanie went back into the field which relieved pressure but the issue still hung like a storm cloud. He felt bad about all of this but didn't allow it to interfere with his work. Like taking a box and putting it into a closet he tucked those emotions away as he drew closer to the coming storm.

Finally, the inevitable arrival time of the invaders came and everyone moved to their positions.

In the last hours of calm Mike ended up finding solace in Gunny MacGregor as the two prepared the Wolverines for their role in the final defense and repositioning of the forces in the area.

Watching the last of the civilians pull out of the city then the Martian Militia rear guard as well Mike asked his senior NCO, "So what do you think?"

"I think we're in for a world of hurt," the gunny answered in his thick brogue.

Mike snorted in acknowledgement, and then looking at the end of the column leaving the city asked, "What about them?"

"Oh, they'll get away all right," MacGregor acknowledged, "for now. We're the target, not them. Once they have us out of the way the Covvies can go after them at their leisure."

"Happy thought," Mike answered morosely.

"It's just war," MacGregor responded with a shrug.

"Then what's the point?" Mike stated with growing frustration. "Why even try if we're doomed to fail?" The Spartan thought of the past few months, everything that had happened on Reach and all that had changed. For years he'd never thought of anything but himself and the mission but now he felt he had something to live for.

But what was that?

A relationship that seemed to cause him more grief and tension than pleasure at times? Another with an old friend that neither of them could define? Life was simpler when he was nothing more than a killing machine. Yet despite the frustrations he wouldn't trade any of it because he knew he'd regained his humanity. He knew he would die, he just didn't know when and in what form but he discovered something about himself lost when his family was killed on Kholo. He knew the answer even before his companion spoke.

"Because we can and because it's the right thing to do," the gunny responded, as if reading his mind. "We may be in a big, shitty situation that's beyond our reach but we can control how we face it, as men of honor."

"As men…," Mike nodded his head in agreement as he let the expression sink in. He was a man, not a machine, and he could control how he faced the uncontrollable. "All right, gunny, let's get 'em ready."

In the end the inevitability of the Covenant advance could not be denied. They didn't hit fast, they didn't need to, but came on like a juggernaut methodically assaulted the city in force. The Spartans and ODSTs waited calmly at their staging area, engines idling and waiting for the call to move which they knew would happen soon. Once a major break in the UNSC line happened they'd swing into action to try to stop it. All who waited knew the time before that happened could be counted in minutes, not hours.

The plan was simple. The ODST's were all mobile using the stock of Warthogs in the city and the Wolf Pack would have two Falcons to travel around in. Their role in the initial stages was Quick Reaction Force to support areas under imminent threat but in the later stages of the battle their role would become more critical. They were to hold the line of retreat to Kenosha so the UNSC forces left after the battle could withdraw. Once the Covenant hit the city in force Ackerson and his command party would abandon it. Though he'd still be in nominal command everyone knew it would come down to the integrity of the individual unit commanders if this were not to turn into not just a route but a slaughter.

And the last one out was to be Mike Nantz.

Adam stood with the rest of the Wolf Pack, helmet on, and listened to the voice chatter coming over the comms. Thus far the Army units engaged were holding but the Covenant was merely probing and not pressing so when that happened everything would change and they'd be thrown into a desperate situation. The thoughtful teenager knew that at the forefront of the assault would be waves of angry Brutes, bent on destruction. The concept caused his heart to begin to beat faster. This time was going to be different than the past few weeks where they'd either had the initiative or else overwhelming numbers. No, this was going to come down to small party action and in the case of the Spartans, each one of them. All knew they would lose this fight but the question was how bad and what would be left. He wondered how he would react. Of late he'd been able to overcome his fear of the Brutes but could he hold it together? What would happen if he froze? That was simple, his teammates would die.

Today there'd be no back up, they were on their own and needed each other. Mike had organized them into two sub-units for more flexible response so Adam would have Maia and Terrell with him and the Lone Wolf the others. He looked at the team; Maia and Matt were having a quiet conversation with each other with their helmets off, Alissa was agitatedly loading and unloading a magazine for her sniper rifle and Terrell calmly sat on an empty ammo crate with a rag and cleaned his already spotless GPMG. He thought of his family and what had happened to them and realized anew that these were now his family. He'd been helpless to do anything when his biological family had been slaughtered before his eyes but now he was in a position to help his new one. No, he wouldn't freeze, he'd fight and give his all for those he loved and in the end he knew that was all he could do.

"You okay, Adam?" Mike came over and asked. Despite the visored face looking at him the teen knew his commander was concerned.

"Yea, I'm ready for this," Adam responded, and he was.

"Good," Mike answered, patting him on shoulder, "I know you are. We'll all just take it one step at a time."

"Copy that, sir," Adam responded, nodding his head assertively and feeling the legendary Spartan's confidence in him and so felt ready to take on the whole Covenant army.

The chance came less than a half hour later.

"This is Delta 3-7, we can't hold our position," the army unit commander called out desperately. "Heavy armor is overwhelming up. Need backup."

"Wolfpack Actual this is Losantiville Control," Mike heard Natalia coolly call for him, "respond immediately to 3-7's position, over."

"Copy that," Mike acknowledged. "Gunny, three sections will come with me. You and Adam's team stay back here and take the next one."

"Roger. All right lads," MacGregor called out, "sections 2, 4 and 6 roll out, it's party time."

With a roar of engines the already loaded Warthogs headed out to the place of need as the Falcon with Mike, Alissa and Matt lifted off.

Once in the air Mike got a better idea of what he'd been hearing over the radio. Clouds of smoke rose around the periphery of the city where buildings burned and on the horizon he could make out Covenant aircraft flitting about. There was a comfort of familiarity for the experienced Supersoldier with the chaos of war and he found himself actually smiling. The pressures of command and relationships these past couple of months had been unfamiliar and scarier for him than facing combat against desperate odds. No, he knew how to live in this environment so settled in to the idea of what was to come. He did think of those of the Wolf Pack but had confidence in their training and commitment. They'd do what they could, that was all anyone could ask.

As the Falcon came in fast the scene on the north-east side of the industrial city was chaotic as expected. Dozens of buildings had been turned to rubble by Covenant artillery fire.

Banshees too numerous to count darted about in the air, their twin plasma cannons spitting out destruction while a few UNSC Longswords tried to provide support to the troops on the ground. Unfortunately by the time the section of the Wolf Pack arrived the aircraft were totally defensive, being chased by the nimble Covenant fighters.

"Sir, this is going to be a hot insertion," the Falcon pilot called out to Mike as he assessed how best to help.

 _You think?_ Mike thought to himself as he watched flashes of plasma and human fire rip back and forth but held the thought. "Copy that, set us down by that company strongpoint," he ordered, setting a marker for the pilot who then skilfully brought the bird into a hover three feet from the ground despite heavy ground fire.

Mike, Matt and Alissa hoped out and the Falcon banked away from the fire and safely withdrew.

"Alissa, find a good spot to set up in and get to work, Matt, you're with me, let's check in," Mike ordered as he scattered a cluster of Grunts with sustained fire from his assault rifle.

As the team's sniper slid into the shadows of a toppled office complex to find a high point Matt blasted a Jackal that hunkered down behind its energy shield with his shotgun. Though he didn't hurt the Kig-Yar he did fry the shield allowing a UNSC Army private who'd been pinned down to blow the head off the avian creature with a well-placed three-round burst from a battle rifle.

Continuing to fire as they went the pair made their way to the strong point where they found a young Army lieutenant who seemed to be about Mike's age with a square jaw and look of determination.

"There's only the three of you?" the dark-haired officer asked with an edge to his voice. "We're being overrun here."

As if to puncture the statement an explosion went off nearby. Mike observed though with respect the young officer didn't flinch but held his place.

"Don't worry L-T," Matt commented before Mike can speak, "we're equal to thirty."

"More are on the way by ground, don't worry," Mike added, trying not to feel pride at his young teammate's confidence. "Where do you need us?"

The battle raged on about at least a two hundred degree plain before them so the officer threw his hands up and said, "Wherever you want. There's too many of them, they're rolling up our flanks."

"Hang in there, lieutenant," Mike assured the soldier, "we'll stem the tide."

Already the steady report of Alissa's SRS99 sniper rifle could be heard above the din of battle. She chose officers and commanders of the invading force wisely which began to mess with the Covenant command-and-control. Meanwhile Mike and Matt worked together as an effective fireteam sprinting along the plain of battle to provide deadly suppressing fire wherever they went.

The tide of the enemy advanced slowed so they threw in a wave of Ghost medium attack vehicles in an attempt to use their speed to disrupt the human lines. Their twin medium plasma cannons spit out death and destruction. Despite return fire from Jackhammer rocket launchers the human defenders were forced to compress back closer and closer to their strong point while the Covenant pressed their advantage to overwhelm the defenders.

Suddenly, one than another of the Ghosts exploded in spectacular fireballs as a half dozen Warthogs raced in to join the battle.

MacGregor's ODST's had arrived.

Two of the Warthogs were mounted with M68 ALIM Gauss Cannons which spit out death at hypersonic speed. Firing high-density slugs at Mach 40 speed the two provided an effective firebase while the remaining stopped only long enough to disgorge its compliment of Helljumpers before joining the fray with sustained fire from their M41 Vulcan Light Anti-Aircraft Gun.

With the enhanced firepower and troop support the human defenders were able to take the initiative and push the attacker back almost to the original line of defense.

But then a new sound dominated the battlefield.

A loud mechanical whine could be heard above the din of battle followed by a thud that shook the ground.

"Shit, Scarab!" the young Army lieutenant yelled who'd joined Mike and Matt as they re-established their position.

As if to puncture the statement a thick plasma beam from its main cannon destroyed two of the Warthogs trying to reposition to engage it.

The massive four-legged heavy assault platform was surprisingly nimble for something so large so was able to pick its way adeptly through the rubble at a remarkable pace, bypassing and then destroying from the small arms fire of its occupants several of the UNSC trenches it passed. Squads of Brutes followed in its wake killing any survivors they found.

"Fall back to rally point," Mike ordered the lieutenant.

"But what about that?" the young officer asked, voice firm but his look betrayed concern.

"We'll take care of it; you look after your troops and focus on those Brutes."

The soldiers moved back quickly but maintained order which impressed the Lone Wolf, then it was time for the Spartans to swing into action. "Alissa, thin out the security on the left side. Matt, we're going to take it out."

"Ya, baby," the aggressive Spartan responded with a whoop of excitement.

 _Crack crack crack_

Three successive rounds from the team's sniper took out three Kig-Yar sentinels on the Scarab.

"Matt, two grenades each at the front left leg," Mike ordered, pulling out a pair of grenades and priming them for release as Matt did the same thing.

The pair then sprinted to position and Mike yelled, "Now!"

The four grenades bounced off the leg and detonated, enveloping the leg in an orange fireball. It did the trick, the hydraulics of the Scarab was disrupted and the behemoth ground to an awkward halt.

Mike then led Matt in a sprint to a pile of rubble that allowed them to come level with the loading ramp of the dangerous weapon's platform. Gaining momentum the pair of Spartans easily made the short leap and landed with a _thud_ on the deck of the Scarab' troop bay startling a trio of Grunts who in a panic waddled away screaming. Mike opened fire with his assault rifle igniting the methane tank of one of the Unggoy and the ensuing explosion sent the other two flying. A pair of Jackals attempted to block the way of the two attackers and while they were able to activate their energy shields Matt charged in frying one shield with an 8-guage magnum round from his shotgun. That allowed the Spartan to shoulder block one of the Kig-Yar hard into a metal strut of the platform breaking its spine while deftly bringing the butt end of his M45 down onto the head of the other.

Meanwhile Mike was systematically clearing the troop bay with sustained fire from his assault rifle punctured with several well placed grenades. The remaining Grunt and Jackal security complement was completely routed. But the Lone Wolf knew this was far from the complement on the dangerous weapons platform so waited for the inevitable counterattack. Hearing a defiant roar from the far end of the heavy assault machine he couldn't help but smile as the Brutes on the juggernaut tipped their hand. He signalled to Matt to reposition and then took the brief pause as an opportunity to change mags and prime two more grenades.

Two Jiralhanae charged into the bay with spittle flecked on their grey beards but despite the intimidating display of aggression the two Spartans were ready. Mike lobbed two grenades in succession into their midst knocking them askance which allowed Matt to leap in and place a shotgun round in the temple of one Brute while Mike unloaded on the other. Both Jiralhanae were dead before they could finish their challenge.

Matt then turned to engage the timidly rallying remaining security detail.

"Forget them!" Mike ordered, "Let's find the core and blow this thing."

Mike knew the schematics of the beastly machine so led his aggressive teammate the short distance to where an intake port for it, gunning down a couple of Grunts along the way while Matt blasted a Jackal trying to guard the access area.

"Couple of grenades should take care of this," Mike called out. Each took one and flipped it in while the Lone Wolf added a plasma grenade that lay beside the dead Kig-Yar for good measure.

"We've done all we need to do," Mike declared as he sprinted to the side and jumped out.

A dull explosion could be heard from inside the behemoth and seconds later it ground to a halt as Matt followed his leader. The hydraulics of the Scarab froze and it tipped nose first until it hit the ground.

UNSC troops cheered spontaneously at the encouraging development and swarmed over the no longer lethal machine killing any of the remaining Covenant troops on it.

While the two Spartans had been taking care of the Scarab the rest of the team and MacGregor's ODSTs had been stemming the flow, creating a momentary pause in the action. Swiftly Mike and Matt in particular grabbed more ammo and grenades.

"Talk to me, Adam," Mike called through the team channel wanting to get an update on how the rest were doing, "give me a sitrep."

"We're good here," the teen 2ic replied. "We deployed not long after you. The Covvies put on a strong push but we were able to hold them and then push 'em back. We got a good position and are holding."

"Good job," Mike responded, proud of the young Spartan.

"Break, break," Natalia's voice came over the channel. "Wolfpack Actual, we've got multiple breaks in our line, we need you to plug the holes when your current area of operation is secure."

 _Holes? This place is leaking like a sieve right now_ , Mike thought as he looked at the tactical map display for the city. "Copy that, send priority locations."

"Will do, Wolfpack Actual. Stand by for Colonel Ackerson."

Ackerson's grim voice was added to the conversation. "Mike, I'm ordering the command party out of the city, we're beginning our withdrawal. You can begin compressing back; you'll have tactical command going forward."

"Roger sir. Wolfpack and Wolverines, begin falling back to Rally Point Alpha," Mike ordered, thinking about the futile battle for Reach as he prepared to defend the withdrawal of the city.


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

 **October 26, 2552, 1420 Hours, Losantiville, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

Thus far Adam was satisfied with how things were going. His response force had been pressed into action not long after Mike and the other members of the team. They'd been sent south of the main fight as the Covenant had slid down the edge of the city in an attempt to flank and then envelope the human forces. Colonel Ackerson had identified this strategy early on so had been pushing troops down to match them.

Despite making the right call the humans still had to match up with the alien invaders and so when the UNSC troops started to become overwhelmed despite being in the right place at the right time Adam, Maia and Terrell plus the remaining ODSTs were pressed into action.

The response force had gotten there in time, almost like the cavalry in some ancient movie and had been able to turn the tide in the human's favour. The Covenant attack, on the other hand, seemed to be poorly organized and thrown in hastily which was likely a testimony to the effectiveness of the Wolf Pack's earlier raid which had killed so many of the Brute leaders. Strangely, there was still an absence of Elites in the invader's force which was a welcome relief since the Sangheili warriors tended to be more disciplined and better tacticians versus their Jiralhanae rivals. Regardless, the human defenders were able to meet the tide and push it back, stopping the attempt to overwhelm the city.

For Adam, he'd had a lagging fear going into the fight that the old terror would come back and cripple him. Desperately did he want to be rid of it but he knew this was something he could only overcome through time and experience so he'd determined to ride it out. Thankfully, the intensity of action was such that he had little time to think about his anxiety towards the Brutes. Despite the fact they were fighting dozens of the gorilla-like creatures and some got so close he could have almost smell their foul breath he'd kept his focus and not had any problems. So despite the very real chance he might die an exhilaration of freedom came over the teen. Not only was he now free but he could also fight back and avenge his family and the helpless boy who'd watched them die.

And fight back he did.

Adam was like a scythe cutting his way through the enemy. While Terrell set up in a firebase with his GPMG to hammer away at the attackers and Maia worked around the periphery supporting those in need Adam was in the center of the action. With the ODST's and their Warthogs backing up the Spartans the team proved to be the stopper in the drain needed to check the Covenant progress and hold the line.

Then the inevitable call came in over the team channel.

"Wolf Pack and Wolverines, begin falling back to Rally Point Alpha," Mike ordered the whole group.

Adam looked around and did a quick assessment of their situation. They were being pressed but only lightly so the opportunity to disengage was there.

"Wolf 3, Wolf 5," Adam called out, "you heard the order. Time to fall back. Fighting withdrawal until we get adequate separation then we hump it to the rally point."

"Copy that Wolf 2," Maia acknowledged.

"Sounds like a plan," Terrell added still laying down suppressing fire.

"You kids want a lift?" Gunny MacGregor broke in.

"Sure, that would be great, Wolverine One," Adam accepted the offer. "Why don't you have two units hang back and support us while you and the rest of your team be sure the 556th are able to break away."

"Solid copy, Wolf Two," MacGregor confirmed. "See you at the rally point."

As the UNSC forces began to pull back the Covenant forces sensed an opportunity so began to push harder. The Spartans were hard pressed to maintain their control of the situation but by falling back in disciplined bounds and with the fire support of the two Warthogs they were able to encourage the attackers to consolidate rather than press the advantage giving the human defenders the chance to break and then race back to the rally point at the south central part of the industrial city. Dark clouds had rolled in threatening rain, almost a precursor of things to come.

Adam assessed the situation on the move. They'd held their position though they'd never been seriously pressed, he had to confess. While the army troops had taken heavy casualties none of the Wolf Pack were hit and four of the ODST's had been wounded, one only requiring evacuation. It seemed a fair trade for the time they'd bought. The civilians were safe and away and that's what counted the most. Still, he knew this was only the preliminary movement in this symphony of violence, the main one was still to come.

Natalia looked at the screen once again in the headquarters, having difficulty processing the inevitability of what she was seeing. Her mind told her the truth but her heart couldn't accept it.

"Misriah, finish your data transfer and let's get going," Colonel Ackerson called out with a sense of urgency in his voice. "Transport leaves in five minutes or you get left behind."

Natalia knew it was an idle threat and also knew she'd be there in four minutes. Still, part of her wanted to be left behind, to grab a battle rifle and join Mike on the line, like it had been on Reach. But then she'd had a set of custom-made Mjolnir armor which allowed her to function as a Spartan.

But she wasn't.

Now the ONI officer was as fragile and deemed as important as the rest of the headquarters staff so she was leaving with the rest leaving Mike and the others to defend their withdrawal which irritated the proud, emotional woman.

Yes, she was leaving again, just like on Reach.

The woman's head knew there was no other option but her heart longed to see him again, to tell him she wanted to stay. But she also knew he'd not want the distraction and also he'd understand.

This was war and this almost seemed the destiny of their fragile relationship.

Would they have had a chance to be a couple if there'd been no war? Could they have had a normal life together? Then she realized if there'd been no war she'd never have given him the time of day. She was a Misriah, he wasn't. War had changed her and had also defined him. She had to take the good with the bad. She wanted to send him a message, tell him she was thinking about him, but knew she couldn't so hoped there might be time before the next crisis to connect. She wanted to tell him she was sorry about all the stuff with Melanie, that she loved him. If only…

Natalia prayed she'd get the chance. The troubled woman finished her task and grabbing her datapad moved outside the headquarters building that had given her purpose for the last couple of weeks and wondered if she'd ever get back to even that level of normal.

A small column of armoured vehicles waited with engines running to pull the command element out of the city. The ramp of the troop bay at the front of an Elephant Heavy Recovery Vehicle was down waiting for her and the small infantry security detail protecting it so she trotted towards it. A pair of M9 Wolverine Anti-Air Tanks flanked the massive vehicle, originally used for farming and was built on Mars, their M260 MLRS rocket pods already nervously tracking the slate grey sky as if they expected aircraft to swoop in any moment. Four Scorpion Main Battle Tanks were ready to roll out as well as a pair of Rhino Mobile Artillery Assault Platforms would join the column. All in all they would be quite safe on the trip it seemed.

Natalia wondered if the defenders, especially Mike who was to be the last one out, would be so fortunate. It likely wasn't the case.

With a roar of engines the column hastily moved out and away from the mounting battle. Only time would tell.

Adam's Spartan element was second to reach the rally point. Gunny MacGregor was already there and beginning to organize his ODST's into a defensive position in the area where the main roads in the city joined into a major highway that led south towards Kenosha. In happier times it had provided an efficient way to move traffic in and out of the industrial city. In addition a school a tree-filled park provided a nice open space for the citizens of the city or any traveller wanting a respite. Now this area became a vital point to hold in order to buy time for the retreating human forces. If the Covenant could take it they could swiftly catch up to their prey. So this was where the Wolf Pack and Wolverines would make their stand.

Mike and his Helljumper contingent rolled in a few minutes later, all riding in the Warthogs. The teams Falcons had already been sent away with the retreating UNSC force. This would be ground combat only as would their withdrawal, if there were to be one.

Mike hopped out of the Warthog and called out, "Adam, Gunny, sitrep."

MacGregor and the young Spartan 2ic trotted over to give their reports.

"We got out in one piece, sir," Adam reported, "with relatively few casualties."

"Aye," MacGregor affirmed, "the lads did good but the Covvies really didn't have the stomach for a stand-up fight. They still seem to be struggling to get their shit together."

"That'll come," Mike commented.

"Aye, to be sure," MacGregor agreed in his Scottish brogue. "We've begun to set our defenses. We'll have two fall-back points and should hold three of the Hogs in reserve to be a QRF."

"Sounds good, thanks Gunny," Mike nodded his head in agreement with the disposition. "That works for me."

"How long do we need to hold, sir?" Adam asked.

"Three hours, four would be better," Mike replied without emotion. He could see the teen wasn't thrilled with the answer but he also saw, happily, that he nodded his head in agreement, holding his tongue and displaying no fear. The teen truly was a Spartan. He looked over the area, making one last quick assessment and then ordered, "All right, let's get it done."

Their reprieve lasted only twenty minutes.

Covenant infantry led the way as two dozen screaming Grunts swarmed over the area filling the green space to test the human defences along with a pair of Ghosts and a quartet of Jackals. The defenders had been set up around the ramps to the main highway plus in several surrounding buildings framing the open areas which provided for excellent interlocking fields of fire.

The ODSTs and Spartans opened up with small arms fire but held their heavier weapons in reserve since Mike didn't want to give away yet where his rocket launchers and GPMG's were situated. He did sent one Warthog in to deal with the Ghosts and that was done quickly, the walking fire of the mounted Vulcan LAAG shredding the first single-seat rapid attack vehicle. The second one used its speed to try to get away but well-aimed fire from several DMR's hit the exposed fuel cell of the craft causing it to erupt in a blue-orange ball of fire.

The initial assault had been stopped.

As Mike expected, it had only been a probe. A salvo of fragmentation grenades fired from several hidden Brute Shots rained down on their position and chased the retreating Warthog back to a protected position.

The two sides played cat-and-mouse for about fifteen minutes, with the Covenant forces probing to try to get a realistic assessment of the UNSC troop disposition and for their part the humans did what they could to not betray their real strength. The Covenant leader either lost patience with the game or decided to press forward regardless. This time a Brute captain in purple-blue armour charged into the open with a dozen of his clansmen all roaring ferociously while being supported by nearly one hundred Grunts and dozens of Skirmishers and Jackals reinforced by a half-dozen Ghosts. The plan seemed this time to overwhelm the defenders with a quick assault en masse and sweep them aside like a tidal wave.

In return, Mike responded with the full weight of firepower of his force. The Gauss Hogs lay down concerted fire with their M68 ALIM Gauss Cannon to check the Ghosts while the LAAGs of the remaining Warthogs not only engaged the nimble single-seat attack vehicles but also began to rain deadly fire down on the Brutes, the captain in particular. Terrell opened fire with his GPMG as did the remaining ODST positions and that led to a virtual wall of fire that met the Covenant charge. The Jackals disappeared almost immediately from the fight into the shadows to wait for a better opportunity and the Grunts scattered in panic ending up interfering with the Brutes who were trying to rally and find a way past the defender's fire. A number of the Jiralhanae were cut down and their remaining comrades roared in anger, not able to push forward but too stubborn to withdraw so one-by-one they were shot down where they stood.

As the skirmish ended this time there was no pause in the action. Semi-automatic grenade fire from Brute shots rained down on several of the UNSC positions resulting in the destruction of the one of the GPMGs and the damaging of a Warthog.

Again the Covenant charged in and again they were met with withering fire. But again as they pulled back now mortar and grenade fire came in as a counterattack scoring several hits on the human defenders.

It became clear to Mike that this was a game of attrition the Covenant commander was playing that he could ill match. He had to switch things up. "Displace to secondary positions in echelons," he ordered through the comms. Fire and movement going forward. Don't hold your position after breaking engagement, move to tertiary positions. Don't let them get you zeroed."

The adjustment seemed to work. The third attack the Covenant was quickly unleashed but by the time the counter-fire came the defenders for the most part had already successfully moved to new positions.

The next time the same result happened and the Covenant seemed to pull back to regroup even though a number of Jackal snipers remained to harass the Spartans and ODSTs. Still, by and large the plan had gone well and they were holding their own though no one, Mike included, believed this was anything more than a temporary reprieve.

He was correct, it was.

A loud, low vibration could be heard causing the buildings to shake. The seasoned UNSC troops hunkering down in their defensive positions knew what this meant. Five Wraith Assault Gun Carriages converged on the open area with their anti-gravity propulsion allowing them to move easily around the debris of battle towards the humans. Redundantly announcing their arrival the leading two tanks fired as they moved into position loosing magnetically encapsulated blobs of superheated plasma. Already zeroed in the two arched into their marks with deadly accuracy, taking out an ODST machine gun position and defensive trench. The other three maneuvered into position to fire

"I got this!" Matt called out grabbing a Jackhammer rocket launcher from a dead ODST who'd just been sniped by a Jackal. The Spartan sprinted from cover to get a clear shot at the lead Wraith while another spotted him and moved to engage. The Wraith fired a plasma round as Matt knelt down to fire. The aggressive teen loosed a rocket from the M41 SSR and then tried to retreat back to cover but the sighted plasma round landed before he could get far enough away. The plasma landed and detonated with a terrific blast, throwing the Spartan's body in the air to land with a sickening thud in a pile of rubble.

"Matt!" Maia yelled over the comms, louder than anyone had ever heard the soft-spoken Spartan speak before and she dashed out of cover to where he lay, a line of pink crystalline Needler rounds tracking after her but none finding its mark.

The sharp report of Alissa's sniper rifle meant the Jackal shooter trying to take down the teen as she made it to her fallen comrade was gone.

The sniper's position given away, one of the Wraiths fired and just missed as another prepared to take a shot.

"Wolf 4…Alissa," Mike yelled, matching Maia's intensity, "displace, they've got you zeroed!"

The next Wraith round obliterated the side of the six story building that the Wolfpack's sniper had been set up in.

Mike groaned in pain at the sight, knowing Alissa was dead. In anger he punched the side of the wall he was standing beside putting a hole in it. The Lone Wolf found himself being taken back to Reach even while simultaneously mowing down two Jackals who tried to flank him. Maia was dragging Matt's motionless body to cover as Needler and Plasma rounds buzzed around her. As he watched his team go down he could see again Noble falling one by one.

 _What's the point?_ Mike despaired. _I do everything I can and people still die…those I let close to me die…why bother?_

Despite the growing despair Mike turned it to anger and he and the remnant of the rear guard fought ferociously, checking the progress of the Covenant advance. Maia miraculously made it to cover, defying the odds and so stabilized Matt who was severely wounded. Then she returned to the fight, defending the position where her teammate lay.

But this was an equation of simple math and the numbers were not on the side of the humans. The alien invaders systematically pushed the remaining Spartans and ODST's back from one rally point to the next, squeezing the life out of them. While the humans could match the infantry it was the Wraiths that tipped the balance of power. One-by-one the ODST's Warthogs were destroyed or disabled and with each loss the supporting firepower continued to diminish. Terrell kept on banging away with his GPMG, almost single handed holding back the infantry advance despite constant attempts to destroy him. Almost with a six-sense he knew the absolute last minute to pull out and reposition. Without him the coming route would have been much faster.

The Covenant Wraiths finally were able to move into position to entirely bracket the human defenses with lethal plasma fire. They took their time to prepare to fire since there was now only minutes left.

A sound though of clanking metal began to grow just off the main battlefield causing some to pause and wonder what this new element to the drama might be.

The short wait was punctured with a blast.

In a cloud of dust a utility building at the school burst apart as a massive Scorpion main battle tank erupted through the structure loosing a 90mm tungsten shell from its M512 smooth bore high velocity cannon which ripped through the air at supersonic speed and slammed into one of the Wraiths preparing to fire. The heating plasma within erupted and the vehicle exploded in a spectacular explosion. In concert two more Scorpions rolled onto the scene scoring direct hits on their Covenant rivals.

"Wolf Pack Actual this is Whiplash," a voice with a heavy southern drawl announced over the comms, "we're here to lend a hand."

"This is Wolf Pack Actual but who is this?" Mike answered back, incredulous at the change of the events. With their armor momentarily eliminated and the UNSC forces reinforced the Covenant fell back to regroup.

"This is Colonel Ed Toliver of the 8th Armored Brigade," the voice announced almost cheerfully.

"What are you doing here?" Mike asked almost breathlessly, "You're supposed to be gone from here two hours ago."

"I guess we lost our way," Toliver responded with a chuckle.

"But aren't you going against orders being here?" Mike asked, still processing the change of events.

"Well hell boy, I'm the brigade commander so I think I have some say in this," Toliver declared with a snort. "And don't you worry, I made sure the column and the rest of my boys were away safe before I came back to help out."

Two of the Scorpions fired on Covenant troops trying to marshal for a counter attack while the third M808B opened up with its M247T medium machine gun, scattering a group of Jackals trying to flank the perimeter.

"But why? Why would you risk yourself?" Mike questioned, even more stumped now that he knew this was a senior commander.

"Well, it's like this," Toliver answered, "you saved my boy at Szurdok Ridge on Reach. He was a grunt with the 37th Regiment. You pulled him out of a burning Warthog, and covered him until help arrived." Now the merriment was out of the senior officer's voice and Mike thought he almost heard him choke a bit. "When I heard you were holding the rear I thought I'd return the favor."

Mike couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief at the turn of events and what had precipitated them. The thoughtful Spartan then realized that what he did mattered in the grander scheme of things, it was a ripple effect that one can't always see but has an impact on the world around them. Yes, it did matter as long as he still drew breath.

"Well thanks for coming back, colonel, we appreciate it," Mike acknowledged. "If you'll anchor our line we'll push back and give us some breathing space."

"Solid copy, you lead the way."

And push they did. With the Scorpions they were able to not only hold but push the Covenant attackers back until they were forced to regroup. And during that time Alissa pulled herself out of the rubble of the building she'd been trapped in after it being hit. Her comms were out from the concussion and her armor damaged but the feisty sniper despite being wounded jumped back into the fray. The team was up and not only functioning but thriving. With the remnants of the ODSTs and now the armor they stopped the invaders time and again.

All in all, things were looking up.

In the end the Wolf Pack and Wolverines along with the support of the Scorpions was able to hold not only for the four hours hoped for but even a little while longer. The Covenant forces seemed to tire of the fight to dislodge the numerically inferior human force and began to move away from the city and route to Kenosha to bypass them and instead made for the Mare Erythraeum territory. When Mike realized this he ordered them to pull out and leave Losantiville for the last time. While half the ODST force was down either killed or seriously wounded with a bunch of other fighting wounded and two of the Wolf Pack down as well there would be time for a reconciliation of that account. It was a high price to pay but the entire UNSC force had been able to make it out and were well on their way to Kenosha.

For Mike he'd consider that as he rode on the fender of one of the Scorpions but as he watched the city fade into the horizon he couldn't help but think of how much had changed since he'd first arrived. It seems like years since September 10th when he'd arrived unsure of how to progress. He'd met and picked his team then trained them to the point that they could fight as they did this day and he'd not only reconnected with Natalia but also with Melanie. One he thought had been dead to him and the other he'd thought was simply dead. Now both were very much alive to him. The simplicity of combat was welcome to him and he was happy in many ways for the opportunity to get back into the fight. And fight they would, he knew, because the preliminary rounds were over and the main event had begun. The battle for Mars had started in earnest. For a while he'd feared a repeat of Reach but now he planned on doing everything he could that was within his control and he'd leave the rest, including his relationships, to the hands of the divine. All he could do was smile.


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

 **October 26, 2552, 1820 Hours, Seven Hills Region, planet Mars**

The remnants of the UNSC rear guard moved out of Losantiville for the last time and most were ready to bid the former industrial city goodbye. The Covenant allowed them the opportunity, consolidating their hold and shifting their axis of advance after the stubborn resistance. The change in plans caused by steep loses they'd taken during the fight gave the humans a breather. It was a respite, but for how long?

The small column planned on moving through the night to get to Kenosha in the neighboring Tanais region. There General Sheridan intended to build a break wall to try to stop the Covenant advance. The terrain worked to their advantage plus they had the assets of the air wing there plus the large military complex that housed a sprawling Marine base which included the primary headquarters of the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers Corp as well as the 65th Shock Troops Division. All in all, if you were going to try to do more than draw a line in the sand Kenosha would be a good choice.

As most of the rear guard's Warthogs had been destroyed most of the ODSTs of the Wolverines and the Wolf Pack rode on the Scorpions. They'd found two trucks to transport the dead and wounded. Matt rode in one of the remaining Warthogs with an ODST medic while Maia had opted to ride with him and assist where she could. Mike rode with Gunny MacGregor on top of the 8th Armored commander's Scorpion and the rest of the Wolverines and Wolf Pack found rides where they could. Time was of the essence so none would walk but in truth none had the energy left to walk.

"Think we made a clean break?" MacGregor asked over the roar of the tank's engine.

"Yea, I think so," Mike replied, idly watching the terrain go by and trying to allow his mind to relax. "I think we took the fight out of them for the time being."

"Aye, that we did," the Scottish senior NCO snorted in his thick brogue. "Those Brutes just kept coming."

"They don't lack courage," Mike had to confess.

"What I don't get though is why we haven't seen any Elites," MacGregor questioned. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad not to see the Hingeheads because I think they would have used better tactics, but we've not seen them yet. That just doesn't make sense."

"You're right, it is weird," Mike agreed. "I don't know, maybe they're working together on another part of the planet. I don't think there's any love lost between them and the Brutes. Doesn't matter, I'm just glad as well we haven't had to deal with them yet."

"Amen to that," the gunny agreed.

Mike and the ODST NCO talked further in the early stages of the trip but as they settled in each became silent, reflecting on what had just happened. Yes, they could claim a victory but also for the first time they'd been badly bloodied. Two Spartans were injured, one severely, and two dozen ODSTs were either dead or wounded cutting the Wolverines down by two-thirds. Though it was a substantial butcher's bill in truth they were fortunate as many got out as did.

The Lone Wolf looked back at the truck carrying their dead. There'd been no discussion or even thought of leaving the bodies behind. Mike thought back to all his teammates from Noble left where they fell on Reach and had pledged to not let that happen here. No, they'd have a proper burial in Kenosha as they deserved. The reality that they all might be dead within days and no one would be left to bury him had no impact. This was in his control and he'd do it because not only could he but it was the right thing to do. Though his days were numbered he'd do that which was in his control and leave the rest to the Divine. After reflecting on their loses and saying a prayer for the dead his mind began to drift towards thoughts of Natalia. Surprisingly it wasn't an unpleasant distraction though he knew he had to make things right with the woman he cared about. That was another thing within his control and so he pledged to enjoy the relationship and not allow it to be a source of stress.

Terrell and Alissa rode on the fourth Scorpion with several of the ODSTs.

Helmet off, the female Spartan gingerly opened the neck seal of her SPI armor and rolled her shoulder around.

"Hurt much?" Terrell asked, watching his teammate curiously.

Alissa snorted and shook her head but said nothing.

The reflective Spartan watched the temperamental female and saw there was still a fire in her eyes. "I'm glad you made it out," he said above the roar of the tank's engine.

"What?" Alissa responded aggressively, taken aback by the comment. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad you're still with us," the more meditative African American Spartan replied, not impacted by the teen's challenging personality. "How'd you get out? I watched the plasma round come in and thought you were cooked."

Alissa still had intensity in her eyes but the disarming comment seemed to calm her down. "It was close. I caught Mike's warning but wanted to get in one last shot. After I did I tried to get out but it was too late. I heard the round coming in and knew it was for me."

"So what did you do?"

"I found a post and beam in the building and stayed under it," Alissa replied, as if going back to the moment. "The shot hit and collapsed the building but where I was there was a bit of a pocket."

"Smart," Terrell commented with admiration.

""It was a bitch to dig myself out," she added, noting her teammate's tone, "and it sucks I missed the rest of the fight."

"At least you made it out," Terrell commented, his gaze drifting to the truck carrying the dead ODSTs.

"You're right, I am." Alissa observantly caught his drift and it tamped out for the moment the fire within. "And thanks."

"For what?"

"For asking how I was."

"No problem." Terrell answered a bit embarrassed. "We're family, that's what we do."

The declaration bothered the independent woman so she changed directions. "Obviously we won but what happened?"

"Well you saw Matt take out one of the Wraiths with a Jackhammer but we were pretty much screwed. Then these Scorpions from 8th Armored rolled up to help us out. They saved the day."

"Glad for that," Alissa grunted, feeling pain in her hip as well. Then looking over to the Warthog trailing behind them asked, "What's up with Maia? I saw what she did and I don't get it. Why'd she put herself in danger like that for him? That was pretty stupid…tactically, I mean," she caught herself.

"I don't know," Terrell shrugged his shoulders. "She risked herself to save Matt and you saved her."

"But why'd she do it?" the aggressive teen asked, becoming testy again.

"Family."

That was the second time he'd said that. The comment again disarmed Alissa, who seemed to be barely holding onto control of her anger. "Family? What's that supposed to mean?" she shot back, almost fearing the answer.

"You know how Maia never talks about her family or her past, right? Well I think we're kind of her family. Really that's true of me too. Who else do we have? In this whole crappy war who really cares about us? We do."

Alissa bit her lower lip and her eyes became glassy. "Me too," she confessed. "I don't have anyone but you guys."

"Yea, it's like we're all in this together," the machine gunner continued, choosing to not acknowledge the woman's emotions, "we're family."

"We're family…," Alissa's voice trailed off and suddenly she wasn't so angry anymore.

 **October 27, 2552, 0815 Hours, City, New York, New York, planet Earth**

Spanner Misriah tried hard to appear like he wasn't ignoring the production reports and assessments of the threat to his business empire. He swore to himself as the Senior Vice President of Operations for Misriah Armory looked at him with a knowing gaze. The ambitious executive could tell the owner of the business empire was distracted and he knew about what.

"Leave us," Misriah finally growled in embarrassed annoyance. The collected group gathered their datapads and filed out. When the last one was gone he opened a comm link to his executive assistant. "Send Wainwright in," he ordered.

Misriah sat back in his overstuffed leather chair and looked up at the ceiling. He had everything and felt as if it were slipping between his fingers. He knew his business would take a hit; he wasn't even sure what of it would left when the dust settled. He was confident humanity would survive. Niccolo had intercepted some interesting information that the UNSC had acquired some new alien tech that might help balance things out.

No, humanity would survive, they were a resilient lot.

His empire didn't concern him, his daughter did.

Reports from Mars were sketchy but what he did know was that the Covenant were putting on a push to take the planet and it was not nearly as well armed or defended as Earth.

And Natalia was still there.

His daughter had asked him to not interfere and let her do her job. He'd agree initially but this was now beyond the girl's desire for independence. No, he wanted her home and safe in their family bunker. While it was not the Hive the Misriah Bunker had been built with this contingency in mind and could self-sustain for months. Everything was prepared to relocate there if needed, save one thing- his daughter.

Spanner Misriah wanted her off planet.

MacKenzie Wainwright entered the office with a nervous look on his face. Spanner Misriah had once allowed him to be a suitor but now he saw the junior executive in a different light. Still, the handsome man's desires were still strong so he would use that to his advantage.

"What do you have to report, Wainwright?" Misriah asked with an edge to his voice.

"Not much, sir," Wainwright responded warily to his increasingly erratic boss. "Losantiville has been abandoned and they're relocating to Kenosha."

"And the command party?"

"I believe they got out," Natalia's would-be suitor stated, trying to sound more convinced than he was.

"You believe?" Misriah shot back, reading through the tone and knowing the executive was uninformed which was something he didn't tolerate.

"Information is hard to get."

"And Admiral Parangosky?"

"She's not taken my calls." I…," Wainwright hastily tried to explain as he saw the anger rise in the temperamental billionaire.

Misriah shut him up with a dismissive wave.

"Get me Admiral Parangosky," he ordered his EA who sat quietly at a small desk in the corner trying to be unobtrusive to her volatile employer. "Tell her this is an urgent communique from Golf 51979."

At ONI headquarters in Sydney Australia as part of Bravo-Six the Hive was abuzz with activity. Situation reports and threat assessments were being disseminated and assessed by Captain Osman for her boss, Admiral Margaret Parangosky. The wily head of Naval Intelligence knew all the information already; she was more interested in how her protégée assessed what she'd already done. This was a regular exercise for the two, perhaps not so efficient in the short term but the admiral always seemed to play a long game.

"Admiral, Golf 51979 is sending an urgent message wanting to speak to you." Black Box popped up above the head of ONI's richly lacquered desk.

"Probably wants us to rescue his little princess again," Captain Osman responded dismissively.

"That's exactly what he's doing," Parangosky declared.

"So then what shall I do?" Black Box interjected with an annoyed tone at being ignored.

"Nothing."

"Any acknowledgement?" the AI pressed.

"The usual platitudes of course but do make it clear that if this is a matter of import to the UNSC war effort that should go through Captain Osman but if this is a personal matter there really isn't the time for it. Much has changed since Reach. It's time this privileged little man realizes that." The admiral steepled her fingers and considered her next move. "Oh, and I think it's time for you to allow his annoying AI to discover we're aware of his movement of production without permission. But just a hint, we don't want him to become too distressed. He must be very upset that his precious daughter is in harm's way."

Osman couldn't help but snort as Black Box formulated and sent the reply in a nanosecond.

"Very well, admiral. It's done," Black Box answered but in a tone the artificial intelligence showed it was none too pleased with the task.

Back at the glass and onyx encased headquarters of Misriah Armory which symbolized its namesake's power, Misriah had reminded to him just how powerful he really was. Spanner Misriah, and more to the point, Natalia Misriah, were truly on their own.

 **October 27, 2552, 0945 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

Kenosha was alive with activity. Longswords from the city's fighter wing were flying regular defensive sorties in anticipation of imminent Covenant attack. The ODST headquarters in the city had been turned into the command center for the region so was busting at the seams. Defensive positions were being bolstered as artillery and anti-air assets began to prepare for the expected assault.

Kenosha was a key area unlocking access to the whole mountainous region and thus that part of the planet. You didn't need to be a geographical or tactical genius to see that. So it was here the UNSC was prepared to make their stand. Colonel Ackerson and his leadership had already integrated into the Command-and-Control elements of the regional structure. All were confident here they could hold. No one though ever mentioned Reach.

For the Spartans of the Wolf Pack and ODSTs of the Wolverines the bigger picture was lost on them. Rolling into the bustling city they instinctively knew they could relax for the time being, others were there to watch over them. Pressure off, inevitably conversation shifted to those lost and wounded in the defense of Losantiville. By necessity conversations were brief since rest and food were of greater priority. There'd be time to mourn the dead and remember but for now more base needs would be looked after.

As Matt and the other wounded were hustled off to the base hospital Mike found the location of the area headquarters and went to check in.

"Good to see you, Mike," Colonel Ackerson greeted him, shaking hands with the Spartan. "'I'm glad you made it out."

"Me too," Mike responded, no hint of humor in his voice. "We wouldn't have if we hadn't gotten some help."

"Yes, I heard about that," the colonel's brow furrowed and face darkened at the mention but the senior officer held his tongue. Instead he asked, "What's your status?"

Mike noted the response to Colonel Toliver's selfless act. Sadly, he wasn't surprised by it. "We're pretty banged up. We need some rest and to re-arm then Gunny MacGregor and I will reorganize the team."

"Time frame?"

"Twenty-four hours downtime would be appreciated. If pressed we could be ready to go in six."

"Noted. Take two hours and report back to me for new orders," Ackerson stated.

"Yes sir." " _At least I get two_ , Mike thought. "What's going on in the broader fight sir?"

"Good news is the Covenant has not glassed any of the planet. They seem to want to take it intact. Numbers are nowhere near what we faced on Reach so we stand a fighting chance."

"And Earth?" Mike asked, unsure of the optimistic tone.

"Seems like much the same. Comms are spotty. Apparently we had isolated and defeated the Covenant ground forces in Africa and their orbital fleet but then a bigger one showed up. Now we're not so sure of the status but we know it's still only regional and not global."

"So were still in the fight?"

"We're still in the fight," the colonel confirmed.

"Thank you sir. See you in two hours." Mike wheeled about and began to walk briskly from the command center.

And there was Natalia, between him and the exit.

The thoughtful Spartan was actually happy to see the woman he had a bit of a nebulous relationship with.

"Hi Mike," Natalia greeted him warmly but with a note of restraint.

Hey Tali," he responded, pained to see the beautiful woman having to hold back.

"How's Matt?" Natalia asked, genuine concern on her face.

"He'll live but I'm not sure when he'll be back in the fight," Mike answered, noting she knew this already. But then as part of Ackerson's command team she likely had access to all that information. There was a time that would have bothered him but now it gave a strange comfort.

"I'm glad. Sorry for all your loses though. It was a high price."

"Cost of doing business," Mike said with a shrug, "but thanks. Would have been worse if we hadn't been assisted by an armor colonel."

"I'm glad he found you," Natalia declared, a twinkle coming into her eyes.

"Wait?" Mike caught it and looked more intently. "You had something to do with that?"

"Colonel Toliver might have been tipped to where your location was," the blond haired woman replied with a nonchalant shrug. "He was looking to help; all he needed was a nudge."

Mike looked incredulously at the woman and saw the look of genuine affection coming back. "Tali, listen, I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you and treated you the past few days. This is all new to me and I have a lot to learn."

"No Mike, it's me who should be apologizing to you," Natalia protested, putting her hand on his armored forearm. "And as strange as this may seem, this is kind of new to me too." She reached down and held his hand. He let her.

"Really?" Mike asked, but he seemed to understand what she meant.

"Really," Natalia affirmed.

"I have a bit of free time," Mike declared, "can I buy you some coffee?"

"I'd love that!" Natalia confirmed happily, suddenly the weight of the past few weeks seemed to have been lifted.

The pair walked out and for the moment didn't have a care in the world.

 **October 26, 2552, 0945 Hours, Seven Hills Region, Planet Mars**

The Brute Captain gurgled and grabbed his throat as he hit the ground with a dull thud.

"Incompetence!" Lepidus thundered as he released the clan officer who'd given him a final report of the incomplete attack on Losantiville. "Are there any who will do my bidding?" he thundered as he processed the information of the human forces escaping intact with the bulk of their manpower and war material.

"Careful, my friend," Mygaeum cautioned his clan leader quietly as several of the downed Brute officer's kinsmen helped him to his feet. "He may have failed but he's of Castor's clan."

"What of it?" Lepidus growled even as he chided himself internally for losing his composure.

"There is more going on here than merely the conquest of this planet," the Brute commander's friend and advisor reminded. "And you know it."

"The new order," he grunted.

"Yes, we must proceed with caution here."

Lepidus paused for a moment considering the statement and stroked his furry beard reflectively. "Bring up the tactical map," he ordered.

The chief's advisor brought up the holo map showing the layout of the particular regions of Mars they were operating in.

"Now overlay tactical dispositions."

Instantly various colored blips and notations appeared on the map.

The quick thinking Jiralhanae Ship Master carefully studied the disposition of both the human and Covenant forces in the regions while Mygaeum and the rest of his command element watched silently.

"Hmmm," Lepidus rumbled, "the humans seem to have concentrated a large and potent force in this area," he pointed a thick finger at the Tanais region.

Mygaeum looked at it more carefully and opened up a detailed report. "It appears as if the humans also have a demon as part of their assets."

Several of the Brutes listening growled in rage at the mention of a Spartan.

"Is it the One?" their chief said, his voice dropping to an almost respectful tone at the thought of the legendary Spartan who'd caused the Covenant so much grief.

"No, but it is another nearly as deadly."

Again Lepidus went silent, considering his options as he stared at the map. "And this area," pointing to the Mare Erythraeum region, "does not seem to be so well disposed. And it has no demons, correct?"

"That is correct."

"It may appear as if the previous area then may be more than we can handle." The cagy Brute raised his hand to stifle the rising protest, "and so I will suggest that the 'honor' of assaulting this region go to our esteemed leader Castor and his clan."

Several in the group caught their leaders drift and howls of laughter erupted.

"I will then 'suggest'," Lepidus continued, "we move to this other region to the south."

"I believe, Ship Master, that there are rumors that Forerunner artefacts are to be found in the Tanais region as well," Mygaeum added with a wink.

"Ha ha ha," Lepidus chuckled deep within his chest. "You seem to be getting my point. New order indeed. Now, let us prepare for our part in ensuring we come out on top."


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

 **October 27, 2552, 1830 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

The intensity of preparation in Kenosha continued unabated. Reports of Covenant activity continued to pour into the control center at the military command center. The main element of Covenant forces expected to continue on towards the Tanais region unexpectedly shifted to the south taking a longer and more circuitous route and it appeared as if another battle group would hit the area. Regardless of why it happened the top brass breathed a sigh of relief since it gave them more time to prepare countermeasures.

All of this was lost on Mike Nantz as he sought to settle into the flow of activity. On the dot at two hours the commander of the Wolf Pack reported to Colonel Ackerson as ordered. As he'd expected there'd been no real orders to give, it seemed more like he was exerting his influence on the Spartan team. They were to be on 15 minute notice to move as the firewall at Kenosha for the Tanais region was established. There might be new assignments beyond that so be ready, do take some time to recover though, blah, blah, blah.

The Lone Wolf wondered why General Sheridan had given the senior officer overall operational control on this region when there were other, seemingly more competent, officers to lead the way like colonel Tolliver of the 8th. It wasn't his to decide so once he'd gotten the gist of what the Army officer was ordering he allowed his mind to drift to more pleasant thoughts like the coffee he'd just had with Natalia.

The reflective man could still taste the sharp blend and that helped with his recollection. Natalia had been eager to talk and so he'd let her. She'd touched his arm and held his hand often which Mike liked. There seemed to be a new intensity within her towards him and a renewed eagerness to be with him which he liked. He wondered if they might have the opportunity to be alone anytime soon. The thought made him nervous but as he recalled the beautiful and excited woman before him he figured they'd just take things as they came. The experienced Spartan was also proud of Natalia and how she'd handled herself during the battle for Losantiville and had told her so. The compliment made the woman blush slightly but she'd beamed broadly and he wondered if he'd even seen the billionaire's daughter happier. Before being pulled with the rest of the command element hers had been a cool voice over the city command comms giving reports and updated information. That she'd been vital to the success of the fight was evident but it still surprised him. Regardless, she'd made correct threat assessments and was able to process the information coming in despite how rapid it was arriving at times. Yes, he was proud of her.

Only one dark cloud had hung over the light of their short time together.

Mike thought back to Reach and how happy he'd been with her before her father had arranged through ONI to have her pulled out.

And that was before he'd watched all his new friends in Noble Team be killed.

The scene played through his mind as Natalia eagerly chattered away and he wondered when the Pelican would arrive to take her away. With the attack on Earth this had a lower likelihood of happening but he couldn't help but think of it. Still, he reminded himself that event wasn't her doing and she'd not wanted to go. It didn't seem any more likely now that she wanted to go either. Now that she was working for Ackerson the likelihood dropped even more.

Ackerson.

Mike knew he had to check in with his team and boss again so had reluctantly ended the pleasant time together but each was eager to see the other again. He expected an interlude before combat resumed since the Covenant seemed to be in no hurry to capture the planet so they might just find that alone time.

Ackerson finished his briefing; Mike gave him a crisp salute then wheeled about and left the headquarters to find MacGregor. Yes, they'd find the time.

It was obvious to even those without medical knowledge that the main military hospital on the base was preparing for a large number of casualties. This was not lost on the four Spartans who sat beside the bed of their wounded comrade. But at least for now there were few bed occupied save those from the rear guard from Losantiville. Word had already gotten around about the Spartans and their ODST colleagues who'd held the line so already they were being looked at with deference. This had no real impact on the teens who instead waited for the chance to see their colleague.

And finally what all had hoped for happened.

Matt opened his eyes and as they focused the burly Spartan saw his teammates standing around him.

"Hey, what's all the fuss about?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. He shifted position to see the group better and a wave of pain lanced through his body despite the painkillers and alterations that had happened to the teen to make him impervious.

"We almost lost you buddy," Terrell replied with genuine concern. "If 'Maia hadn't gotten to you…well," he let the sentence drift off.

"Maia…," Matt repeated, as he began to collect his thoughts.

"Yea, she came and pulled you out then protected you until the medics could get to you," the team's machine gunner explained.

"Is she okay?" Matt asked with genuine concern as he processed what he'd been told.

"I'm here and I'm fine," the shy girl with short brown hair answered, coming to stand beside the bed and into his view.

"Thanks Maia," the wounded Spartan said, his usually harsh voice soft. "I remember now. You came from cover. I saw it…didn't know what you were doing at the time," his voice suddenly had a hitch of emotion in it. "You risked yourself…for me."

"It's no big deal," she replied, looking away in embarrassment.

"But it is," Matt countered with as much force as he could muster. "I've treated most of you like crap and yet you came and saved me. I don't get it. Why would you do that?"

"Because we're a team," Maia answered, passion rising in her voice, "because we're a family and that's what we do for each other."

"Family…" Matt repeated and let the word hang as his eyes became glassy with realization. "Did everyone else get out okay? What about Adam?"

"I'm here, Matt," Adam responded, stepping from the side of the room to stand beside Maia. "We all got out okay. Mike's getting quarters and stuff sorted out for us. The Wolverines got beat up pretty bad though. We lost a bunch of guys."

"That sucks," Matt declared, closing his eyes and sinking back into the hospital bed as the reality sunk in, thinking of those who he'd once thought of as the enemy but now were brothers.

"It was a tough fight," Terrell added.

"But we got out and made it to Kenosha," Adam continued, his tone becoming more upbeat. "There's a large force and well-supported battle group forming here to make our stand."

Alissa snorted derisively but said nothing.

"Looks like you're being well looked after here," Terrell changed the subject, noting Alissa's growing agitation. This was a regular occurrence with the volatile female Spartan.

"Yea, they do since I'm going to be here for a while," Matt replied, his confident mood dropping.

"That stinks," Maia commented. "But you'll be back, right?" she added.

"Try to keep me away," he responded with a smile towards his teammate. "And it's not all bad. I get to lay back and relax, get three squares a day and all the Smoothers I want."

The others, save Alissa, all laughed at the comment.

"Speaking of which," Adam stated, "it's almost time for our next cycle."

The others groaned.

"Listen, you get well soon, okay, Matt," Alissa said, moving from the infirmary. "I've got some stuff to do so I'll see all you guys later."

Family.

The word continued to resonate and agitate Alissa. She was already in an aggressive state due to her depleting psychological condition. The Beta Company Spartan's extra enhancement to make them more impervious to pain and the strain of combat had the negative side effect of extreme aggressiveness that needed to be balanced with a regular antipsychotic drug. It worked well to keep the super soldiers in balance as long as you took it.

The problem was Alissa was only taking a 1/3rd dose.

The strong-willed woman saw the drug as a leash and didn't like the idea of being controlled. She'd had enough of that in her life and always rebelled. When she'd joined the Spartan program to fight back against the Covenant she hadn't agreed to have her mind altered, just her body. When the reality of the new circumstance was discovered the others had rolled with it since there was little that could be done but Alissa had fought back by cutting down on her dosage as soon as they'd been allowed to monitor their own intake.

Unfortunately it hadn't gone so well thus far.

She'd found herself having difficulty controlling her anger and clashed often with her teammates. In combat she'd found her concentration and focus slipping as well. Until now she hadn't cared, she'd wanted to beat this, to unlock the leash but for the second time this idea of family had come up.

Moving out of the infirmary and into the light of day the Spartan got swallowed up in the hustle and bustle of a military base preparing for attack. But she was oblivious to all this around her, instead she intently focused on the thought gnawing away at her.

There was something bigger than self and even what had happened to them all going on. It was bigger than the impending loss of Mars and even perhaps the potential for losing Earth. It was an ideal that had caused her diverse teammates to gel together, that had brought someone like Matt and Maia together. It was that they were a family and so they risked and sacrificed for each other. Much was not in their control but some things were and that's what her teammates, or dare she say friends, seemed to have chosen to focus on.

That also was a choice she could make.

Alissa took the little pill out of the container each Beta Company Spartan carried and looked at it. She'd already skipped the last two cycles and had planned on skipping this one too. But the idea of family continued to resonate deep within the lonely teen's spirit. This wasn't just about her. There was more going on than her own narrative. She was part of something bigger. The thought that the UNSC had altered her mind and turned her into this still caused the proud girl to rage with anger but there was something more going on. She saw in her mind Maia running to Matt. It had irritated her since it was a tactically foolish act but now she saw it in a different light. They were family; they set aside their own selfish goals and ambitions for a greater good. That's what family did.

A new resolve entered into Alissa, the resolve to do everything she could to help and protect her family. With that, she popped the Smoother into her mouth and swallowed it.

The Covenant continued to move troops around but as of yet none had come anywhere close to the Tanais region so while Kenosha stayed on high alert there was a sense of calm before the storm. This allowed Mike to fulfill a promise that had formed in his mind back on Reach and now was in the position to fulfill. That was to honor the fallen.

"Group stand atten-tion!" Gunny MacGregor barked and the collection of Spartans and ODSTs came to ramrod straight as one.

A UNSC Marine Chaplain then went to the row of shiny coffins assembled before the collected troops to begin to perform the burial rites. Besides the Wolf Pack and Wolverines a number of others who'd gotten out of Losantiville because of these troopers sacrifice came. Word had spread around the base of the impending funeral, something unusual of late especially considering the volume of casualties. Many others came out because they were curious about what would happen but the vast majority came to pay their respect for the dead and by extension the dead they'd known from the past couple of years. It was something the chain of command had not authorized but Mike had done on his own initiative, finding a sympathetic chaplain and organizing it himself. By the time word had gotten out none would dare oppose it.

So several hundred military personnel stood respectfully before the collected coffins that represented the sacrifice of so many in the fight against the Covenant. Mike was deeply pleased to see so many come out to pay respects to the fallen but he was more personally pleased to see that Natalia had come as well. She was standing opposite the main body and looking intently at him with eyes filled with compassion. Though it was obvious the woman was moved by the unfolding ceremony Mike could also tell the pained looks on her face were for him and must reflect how he looked.

How wrong he'd been about her.

Natalia, the one he'd called a 'spoiled little brat' and then later had accused of abandoning him for an easy life. No, she'd proven herself time and again that privilege meant nothing to her and he instead was at the center of her heart. When would he see it? When would he put aside his insecurity and pride to embrace the opportunity before him?

A new resolve entered in as he looked at the coffins and thought of those who lay within that'd never have the chance to love, laugh or live again. He knew all of them, knew not only their names but could see their faces. How could he honor them? Then it came to him- by seizing every single second given to him and turning it into a lifetime. And Natalia Misriah, gorgeous, rich, and powerful billionaire's daughter wanted to share that with him. He almost laughed at the craziness of the thought but remained stoic out of respect for the dead and the ritual carrying on.

Then as the chaplain finished the rites he looked over to Mike to say a few words which caught him off guard. The Lone Wolf had been looking at Natalia and not really paying attention, wondering instead what she would be like if he had been one of the ones lying there in one of the caskets. The fact that he wasn't seemed to give him a call to action in their relationship.

The chaplain cleared his throat and Mike got the point.

"We're here today to honor the dead," Mike began, seeing Natalia smile and urge him on with her deep emerald green eyes, "not only because it's the right thing to do but also because we can. Though an evil force seeks to annihilate us and would have us hide and cower we do not and will not. These men died so that we may all have another day, another day to live and another day to fight. We honor them by fighting on and living this day to the full. As we think of our fallen comrades may we not think of them in death; they have passed on to a better place, but may we think of them in life and the lives they lived. May we take from their example and grow and live so that their sacrifice of giving us another day may be honored."

Mike paused to take a breath, realizing he'd forgotten that and now noticed the hundreds gathered were hanging on his every word, as if looking for encouragement or hope. Resolve he'd not felt before entered in, a resolve to give those gathered the same kind of hope swelling up within him.

"None of us know our appointed time," he continued, "but may we look to it neither with fear nor anticipation but instead may we push back against those who would seek to rob us of the joy of this gift and instead stand up and stand out and yell WE ARE HERE," his bellowing voice had a visible, physical effect on the crowd who seemed to stand a bit taller, "and we're here to stay facing the sun until that times comes and not one second sooner. So their example will cause us to carry of." He paused and his eyes scanned the crowd, knowing the understood. "For the dead, we will remember and we salute you." With a somewhat sheepish look on his face for how emotional he'd become Mike raised his hand in salute.

"Group, present arms!" MacGregor ordered and all hands snapped up into crisp salutes.

Three sharp reports from Battle Rifles went up in honor of the fallen and then a trumpeter played the Last Post, following a tradition carried on for centuries. Though it could be done easier electronically the Marines had doggedly stuck to the old tradition.

With that the short, but moving ceremony ended. There was nothing more to say or that should be said.

"Group, dismissed to your duties," Gunny MacGregor ordered. "Stories and toasts to the fallen will happen in the Junior Ranks Mess at 2100 hours tonight barring a call to assemble. First round is on the senior NCO's."

The gathered troops cheered at the news then broke into clusters and began to wander off to their duties or free time activities.

"You think anyone will be around to do this for us when it's our time?" Terrell asked as the group dismissed to return to quarters.

"Doesn't matter," Alissa broke in. "We do it when we can because it's the right thing to do and it's within our control. We do it because we're family. "

The stormy Spartan then walked off leaving the rest of her teammates to watch her go in wonder.

"What got into her?" Adam asked, impressed with her passion but taken aback that she finally seemed to care about anything.

"I'm not sure but I think maybe she's starting to believe in something," Terrell answered, a knowing smile growing on his face.

Mike listened to the conversation as he walked away from the ceremony and couldn't help but smile. Despite the injury to Matt who'd be out for at least a week the team was in good spirits and coming together.

"Sir!"

The voice interrupted Mike's train of thought and caused him to stop. The rest of the wolf Pack stopped as well, curious to see who'd sought to stop their CO.

Mike turned towards the voice and saw a tall, muscular Army trooper with close cropped black hair looking at him eagerly.

"Yes, what can I do for you?" the Lone Wolf asked.

"Sir, the names Thorne, Private Gabriel Thorne," the trooper with sympathetic brown eyes identified himself. "You fought alongside my unit in New Alexandria back on Reach," he stated.

Mike was taken back to that unpleasant time right after Natalia had been extracted and he left to watch the remainder of the team die.

"I do remember you," Mike responded, looking more carefully at the soldier who'd been at the service and remembered him fighting bravely. "You fought well if I remember. Did they ever give you a medal?"

"Actually they did, sir," Thorne responded a bit sheepishly. "But that's not important."

"Well then what can I do for you, Thorne?" Mike asked, curiosity peaked.

"I see your team is down one until your man recovers."

"Okay, that's true."

"Well I'd like to volunteer to take his place until he's fit for duty," the young Army private asked brashly.

The other members of the Wolf Pack couldn't help but laugh at the audacious request.

"As if," Alissa, commented derisively not caring that the young soldier heard her remark.

Well, that's a generous offer, son," Mike ignored the comment, "but my team is hand-picked and Spartans only."

"But…"

"No buts," Mike cut him off before he could argue. Then he saw the genuine look of disappointment in the young soldier's eyes and also the spark of something stronger and remembered how well the man had fought on Reach despite the odds. "Listen, Gabriel, you may not fit in the Wolf Pack but my ODST team is pretty banged up. I know you're not a Helljumper but do you think you could keep up?"

"He's not even a Marine, sir," Alissa interjected.

"Hell yes, sir," Thorne answered enthusiastically, ignoring again the female Spartan's comment.

"Gunny," Mike called.

"Sir!" MacGregor responded, trotting over to join the group.

"This is Private Thorne, gunny, he'd like to join the Wolverines, that is as long as it's okay with his platoon commander."

"Really?" MacGregor responded cynically. "He's not ODST, he's not one of us," the senior NCO stated bluntly in front of the young soldier who didn't flinch at the perceived insult. "And he's not even a Marine."

"Told you," Alissa added sassily.

"I know but we fought together on Reach." Mike paused, remembering the heroism the young soldier showed. "I think he can keep up and should be given the chance. Besides, your numbers are down so now's not the time for interservice rivalry. You're going to have trouble filling the platoon back up even in Kenosha and good men are hard to come by." Mike looked as his cynical senior NCO and added, "If he can't keep up you can punt him back to his unit. Is that fair, Thorne?"

"Totally, and I won't let you down," Thorne added.

MacGregor removed his cap and scratched his black hair. "If you say so, sir." Then he turned to Thorne. "My office is over there," he pointed to the building the Wolf Pack and Wolverines had been given to set up in. "I want authorization to transfer on my desk in ninety minutes or no deal. Is that okay with you?" he turned and looked hard at Mike.

"Totally," Mike answered.

"Thank you sir, thank you gunny," Thorne responded joyfully.

"Clocks ticking, boyo," MacGregor stated and with that Thorne got the hint and ran off to find his officer.

"You sure about this?" MacGregor asked, hands on hips.

"I know its irregular, Hank, but I get the feeling we're going to need everyone we can get fighting with us real soon," Mike responded, watching the young Army trooper sprinting away.


	36. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

 **October 28, 2552, 1045 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

"Incoming Covenant forces on our trajectory, estimate ninety minutes out," the Forward Air Controller related from the operations post in the command center at the sprawling military base.

"Report," Colonel Ackerson responded, "size and composition," he ordered, his heart starting to beat harder at the anticipated assault on Kenosha.

The Army lieutenant hesitated for a moment, to ensure the accuracy of the information. "It's very strange, sir, brigade level in bound but all in Phantom Troop Carriers."

"Armor and main ground force proximity?" the senior officer asked, waiting for the rest of the story.

"Reconfirming," the FAC answered, checking again his data feeds. "At least nine hours behind."

"Say again?"

By now all other work in the headquarters had stopped to listen to what was expected to be the first major assault they'd face.

"Main force is at least nine hours behind even at an aggressive pace," the slim, blond haired officer confirmed.

"Air support?" the air commodore for the area joined in, fingers already tapping on his datapad to spool up his command.

"One, maybe two wings of Banshees."

"And?" Ackerson jumped in.

"And that's it sir," the Army lieutenant confirmed.

 _What the hell?_ Ackerson thought to himself. _This doesn't make sense. They should be hitting us in force._ He processed the information for a moment and unconsciously scratched his head. _Oh well, far be it from me to look a gift horse in the mouth_. The Army officer closed his eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks as the other senior officers contemplated the unexpected news. It appeared as if the main attack was about to commence in the region but it was going to happen in a piecemeal and unco-ordinated fashion. This couldn't be better news for the human defenders of this region of Mars.

Pulling up the tactical map for the area he had the Covenant line of advance plotted and then looked for a spot to take the fight to them. The cagey officer resisted the urge to read too much into what was going on and overthink his strategy. The alien invaders seemed to be either stumbling towards them or had such contempt for their capabilities they felt a force of this size would be sufficient. Regardless, Ackerson was going to use it to their advantage. Still, there was still the possibility of something they missed or a cloaked force perhaps so he wouldn't commit everything, rather just enough to get the job done.

"All right, let's get the Longswords in the air and force them to go online," Ackerson ordered to the officer in charge of the Air Force. Then to his ground force commanders he added, "Let's keep them from the city and force them down on the Plain of Zarma," he placed a waypoint on the map. "That'll give us great cover to feed troops in but set up a nice killing ground against them. Send the signal to deploy. Let's chew these bastards up before their main body arrives. We might just win this fight after all."

Since the UNSC defenders had maintained a high state of readiness they were able to initiate the plan quickly. Longsword fighters screamed through the air en route as battalions of Scorpion tanks, Warthogs and troop carriers rumbled out of the city while Pelicans lifted off filled with ODST shock troops to establish the line. Though an impressive array there was still a large body of troops held back in reserve as the UNSC command were leaving nothing to chance.

This included the Wolf Pack and Wolverines.

The advancing Covenant force didn't deviate from their course so as expected the UNSC Air Force elements swooped in forcing the heavy troop carriers to land while their fighter screen tried to keep the humans at bay.

But it was too little too late.

Already the UNSC ground forces were in place and after a devastating artillery barrage the human armor elements rumbled in, taking the fight to the invaders. The combination of action was more than the slow thinking Brute commanders could process so rather than withdraw or attempt to pull back to consolidate they threw their troops into the grinder piece meal.

The result was as expected.

The Covenant forces could never take the initiative and were ground up where they stood. Despite all the evidence the command could still not believe this was the only invader's assault. Wisely they held their reserve back until it was certain this was the only assault. As the battle raged on and it was clear the well-supported UNSC forces were going to overwhelmingly win and it became apparent there was no other imminent attack the Spartans and their ODST support element were finally released to help mop things up.

Swooping down on the Plain of Zarma in Pelicans and Falcons the scope of action was easy to see even for a novice strategist. The Covenant had been forced to deploy on the east end of the plain without any cover other than some low rocky formations. Much of the ground surrounding the area was elevated so UNSC artillery and armor had deployed there to take advantage of the height and rain destruction down on the alien attackers. The results had been devastating for the Covenant forces. Dotted throughout the plain were downed and burning Phantoms. The few Wraiths in the complement were also destroyed along with the full complement of Ghosts.

The battle was now essentially a cleanup action against the remaining pockets of Brutes who stubbornly held on with whatever supporting troops they could rally. Retreat was not in their vocabulary so they were going down with a fight. It was into this mix the Spartans were deploying.

"Are you serious?" Alissa blurted out over the comms in frustration. "The battle's already over."

"Yea, why'd they keep us out of the fight so long?" Terrell added, uncharacteristically complaining as well.

"All right, that's enough," Mike cut in to silence the griping. "Command wanted to be sure this was the extent of the Covvies push. Once they did we were released. They didn't have to since the main forces were able to handle things as you can see."

"It still sucks," Alissa said softly but still so all could see.

Mike let it go, understanding their frustration at not being first into the fight. Instead he studied the tactical situation especially in light of the fact Matt, their main assaulter, was not with them. His seasoned eye saw a small group of Brutes who looked like a command element rallying a party of Jackals and Skirmishers to make a stand. He signalled the pilot where to drop them in.

"Okay, triangle formation on deployment," Mike called out to his team. "I have point with Adam and Maia. Terrell, firebase, Alissa, counter sniper fire. Let's get roll in and show 'em how Spartans fight. Gunny, what looks good to you?"

"Ach, you took the best slice there laddie," MacGregor complained good-naturedly. Then observing a group of Grunts and Jackals retreating to the west he declared, "We'll take care of those ones, you have fun in the rocks!"

As the Falcon touched down Mike called out, "All right, let's get it done!"

MacGregor and his group peeled off to another part of the battle seeking their observed target of opportunity while the Spartan's two Falcons touched down lightly allowing the team to deploy. Small arms fire echoed all about with colourful plasma and Needler rounds flying through the air like fireworks and UNSC return fire buzzing angrily like bees.

The arrival of the Spartans didn't go unnoticed by the concentrated group of Brutes. Knowing they'd lost the fight but hoping to attain a tactical victory they consolidated. With the supersoldiers jumping into the mix the other UNSC troops backed off to allow them to finish the fight as well as ensure there would be no friendly fire casualties.

Mike saw this and despite the state of the battle and overwhelming odds, victory in this particular fight for them was far from assured. It also wasn't guaranteed they'd walk out in one piece.

Being without Matt also meant a change in tactics. None of this the wise combat veteran liked. Mike knew he could just back off, contain the group and call in an artillery strike to finish the belligerent attackers now getting set for the assault. But that wouldn't work. They had to finish the job and be seen to finish it. Anything less and they'd lose credibility and in the battle for Mars to come he knew their fellows troopers needed to have confidence in them. So no, they had to take the fight to the Brutes regardless of how foolish it seemed.

"Okay, you guys wanted a fight, well, you got it," Mike declared over the team channel as several fragmentation grenades from Brute Shots went off around them. He paused and knelt down beside a boulder to get a tactical assessment while Terrell and Alissa set up. Adam and Maia began to trade small arms fire with a group of Skirmishers trying to disrupt their advance.

The other UNSC forces pulled back to cordon off the area or hunt down stragglers but this was now becoming the main event.

Though not lost on Mike he also wasn't impacted by it. He was happy to be only using his team, it made things simpler. The Brutes held a position with excellent cover but in less than a minute his keen tactical mind had come up with a plan.

"Terrell, hammer them until we step off then sweeping suppressing fire, keep their heads down. Alissa, take out any Brutes stupid enough to stick their heads out. Maia, Adam and I, triangle again. We'll hook left but then sweep right to this opening," which he marked on their tactical maps. "That's our entry point. I'll take point the whole way. Stay tight; my armor will get us through their killing ground. Terrell, Alissa, when you see us make our move switch fire to the opening and then once we make the final assault cover our backs. Everyone got that?"

Four acknowledgement lights lit up Mike's HUD.

Terrell opened up with a withering fire from his GPMG which caught a number of Jackals off guard before the others could jump to cover; stone chips flew in the air as he continued to pound away. Alissa was able to head shot two Brutes in mid-taunt as they challenged the retiring humans causing the others to leap for cover as well.

Mike had what they needed. "All right, let's go!" he called out, louder than necessary with their comms but caught up in the intensity of the moment.

Running from cover and in a tight triangle formation the three Spartans moved fast to the left of the Covenant position. Their goal was surprise so speed was of the essence. As fire rained down from Terrell and Alissa the trio closed the gap quick but then the Covenant forces figured out the strategy and began to return fire.

Spiker and Needler rounds zipped through the air. Most were absorbed by Mike's Mjolnir armor. Though his shielding was rapidly diminishing he knew they'd get to where they wanted to go before it drained. Several Brute Shot rounds went off to the side or behind but the humans were moving too fast and now into a zig-zag pattern to really zero in on them. The only problem was there was a no-fire cone around them that Terrell and Alissa couldn't shoot into for risk of hitting their teammates. Once the Brutes leading the defense figured this out they began to concentrate their fire. While Mike caught most he didn't get them all.

A red-hot spiker round hit and went through Adam's shoulder. Though the adrenaline was flowing and his neural changes meant he felt no pain he still registered the hit as his SPI armor was breached.

 _Damn,_ the teen thought, _what am I doing here?_ he said to himself as the old panic started to creep back in. Within seconds they'd be in among the Brutes and then what? The old fear and images from the past tried to crowd back in but he pushed them out. This was his family and he'd die before he let them down again. No, the old Adam was gone. Not only could his team count on him, he could count on himself.

And then just like that, Mike shifted to the right, and headed to the desired opening. One last salvo from Terrell's GPMG paved the way and then the three were in among the invaders.

Jackals ran away as fast as they could, knowing the fight was over. But the Brutes stayed.

Two Ultras in their violet armor and a Major in dark blue stood to block the way. Alissa threaded the needle between her teammates and scored a head shot on the first Jiralhanae Ultra, the shaggy behemoths head exploding. Mike tossed a grenade with one hand and opened up with his Assault Rifle emptying half a mag into the other. The Major roared a challenge which died halfway through as Adam and Alissa both concentrated fire to cut the Brute down.

A Jiralhanae Captain stepped into the void to block the way and called to several other Ultras to rally. Mike didn't break stride and brought the butt of his rifle savagely across the face of the Brute, breaking his jaw and pouring fire into the Ultras as he moved. In his wake Maia stuffed a grenade into the mouth of the officer and kept moving as well as the Brute's head blew apart.

Adam had taken the rear position and so was covering their flank. A pair of Kig Yar Skirmishers tried to take advantage of the situation but Adam walked fire towards them with his Battle Rifle and cut them down.

Any Brute or Kig Yar that tried to reposition was cut down by Terrell's relentless automatic fire or Alissa's precision shots. The UNSC troops observing from the periphery went from combat mode to that of spectators and couldn't help but start to cheer at the savage spectacle they were witnessing. In the depths of their minds all knew this was a losing fight for the planet but for the moment that was lost in the savage beauty of the spectacle before them as the Spartan team systematically whipped out the remaining Covenant resistance.

And then as quickly as it had begun for the Spartans just as quickly it ended.

Mike swivelled around 360 degrees looking for targets but found none. His breathing was heavy from the adrenaline of combat but he was under control. There was no Covenant standing. "Wolf Pack, check in," he ordered, seeking the good news he hoped for.

"Wolf 3, all's good."

"Wolf 4, clear, no hostiles standing."

"Affirmative, this is Wolf 5, confirming previous. Total victory."

Then Mike and the others waited for an anxious moment for the last confirmation.

"This is Wolf 2, it's all good." Adam reported, coming out from behind a rocky outcrop, armor covered in his blood and that of a Brute. "Affirmative, all clear."

And it was for Adam. He'd fought in close quarters, had come face to face with one of the Brutes and killed him with no fear. Even if there was no peace in the galaxy, he had found a peace he'd been looking for for years.

 **October 28, 2552, 1045 Hours, New York state, United States, Plant Earth**

Power is an illusion.

Spanner Misriah couldn't remember where he'd read it but it kept pounding in his mind like a bass drum. The source didn't really matter but the reality of it had been gnawing away at the billionaire. After Admiral Parangosky's overt rebuke the industrialist realized there was no reason for him to remain in Sydney so with his key leadership team left to return to his corporate headquarters in America.

With the Covenant attack on Earth intensifying he'd also wanted to be close to his personal bunker and so this is now where he sat, stewing about the reality of what he actually had. The Misriah Bunker had a fully functioning communications center and so he was able to continue running his operations from there with his key staff all around him. In addition it had its own internal power source and was able to self-sustain for up to six months if need be. This was in many ways the ultimate expression of wealth beyond the Smart AI he possessed who was giving him constant updates.

So he was safe, but to what end?

Right now the only thing he wanted in the world was for his daughter to be beside him and safe in this place. After the head of ONI refused to help he'd tried to acquire a Prowler of his own to go get her. Even with his vast resources he'd been rebuffed at every step.

Likely Parangosky was behind it.

That didn't matter to Spanner Misriah. No matter how much he threatened or tried to bribe nothing worked. He thought to call in MacKenzie to get an update but knew already what the answer would be. The situation on Mars was fluid and information was scarce. He'd find nothing new to report and that would only increase his anger and frustration. Finally, for the first time in his life, something he wanted was out of reach. All the power he'd acquired and image he'd worked so hard to craft over the years now meant nothing.

So instead of being a flurry of activity Misriah sat back in his personal suite with a glass of fine Scotch whisky sitting idly in his hand and looked back over his life and the reality of all he'd accomplished. He thought of his daughter who'd declared her love for a Spartan, one whose name he couldn't even recall. If only he'd listened more closely, if only he'd tried to understand, perhaps things would be different. But no, he had believed in his power and wealth and found out how truly small it can turn out to be in a time of ultimate need. Would this be a lesson he'd apply if the situation turned out? He hoped he would but wasn't sure.

So here Spanner Misriah sat, safe but alone despite having twenty people around him because the one person he wanted to have with him was tens of thousands of kilometres away

 **October 29, 2552, 0815 Hours, Khyber Pass, Mare Erythraeum Region, Planet Mars**

The Spartan in SPI armor used the active camouflage feature of their suit to sneak up behind the Jackal who was acting as a sentry. Slowly and silently the Spartan drew a long, thin knife and in one swift motion drove it on an angle up and into the brain of the avian invader. The Jackal didn't even let out a squawk and the Spartan grabbed the Kig Yar and gently let it fall to the rocky over crop that commanded a view of the pass below.

Melanie B252, 'The Whisper', took her helmet off and rolled her head around to relax the growing tension. She'd been out in the field alone for several days now and the fatigue of being constantly on guard in this environment was finally starting to get to her a bit.

Replacing her helmet Melanie settled into position in the shadows of the rocky outcrop completely invisible. If anyone cared to look and knew there was to be a sentry in position they'd probably think the unreliable Kig Yar posted there had wandered off.

The scene below made Melanie's heart beat a little faster. A massive and aggressively moving Covenant force was building in this region. She began to key the pertinent information into her encrypted datapad and prepared to send it to command through one of the remaining satellites the UNSC still had orbiting, ensuring no one would pick up the signal. The reality was though that whoever was commanding this Covenant force likely wouldn't have cared if he'd found out anyways.

 **October 29, 2552, 0815 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

"Mike, I got a mission for you."

Finally. They'd gotten into the action so late the first day that his team was chomping at the bit. He'd wanted to be in the fight but Ackerson had always held him back. The colonel just couldn't believe what they'd experienced had been the actual attack so had held them in reserve for the day while the battle raged on. So they'd sat idly by.

Ultimately Mike couldn't fault the man, the Covenant attack had been so linear and predictable no one believed that was the sum total of the assault. But then it continued to be lacking in Elites with Brutes leading the way so that perhaps explained things. He looked over at Natalia who sat at a work station looking bored. She was trying hard not to look at him but failing to anyone who had any degree of observation skills. But then he couldn't fault her either. After how busy she'd been in Losantiville she now sat largely idle which frustrated the woman. Whereas before she'd been the main combat controller now she entered into an established pool at the military base and was the low person on the pole despite her marquee name.

Natalia and Mike had gotten together for coffee the previous evening when things finally settled down and swapped stories of their frustration. To compound the feeling they'd not been able to get any time alone, always being interrupted. There was an unspoken urgency seeming to be growing between them to be alone and then see what happened but thus far that had been denied them.

So there they'd sat.

In the end they'd kissed as they parted, neither cared anymore if anyone saw them before turning in for the night.

"We've identified the main concentration of the Covenant command-and-control element along with their munition reserves now that all their forces in the region have aligned," Ackerson continued and Mike started paying attention since the colonel was finally getting down to business. "We still don't know why they came in piecemeal like they did yesterday. It doesn't matter, it was a gift and we'll take it since this gives us a chance to win this fight. Now that they've concentrated your mission is to penetrate their base of operations, gather intel and then blow the reserves."

"AI or scouting support?" Mike asked.

"Negative. No assets available."

"Understood." Mike thought back to Auntie Do who'd been Noble Team's dedicated AI and who'd proved invaluable during the fight. He wondered what had happened to her. Could AI's die? He didn't know what happened when their plugs got pulled. He'd heard something about rampancy but didn't really know what that meant. It didn't matter. They'd truly be on their own.

"You'll have 24 hours on the ground from insertion to extraction," Ackerson concluded. "After that window I can't guarantee a ride so be sure you're there."

"Roger that, sir," Mike answered grimly.

"Good luck." Ackerson shook his hand and went back to his other duties.

As Mike left he saw Natalia staring at him so he smiled and winked as he passed. She in returned mouthed 'I love you' and then he was in mission mode.

It was time for the Lone Wolf to run with his pack.


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

 **October 30, 2552, 0220 Hours Zeguma Plain, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

The team had left by Falcon as the sun was beginning to set. They travelled light since the mission was to be over in 24 hours. The premise was simple- get on target at the Covenant command-and-control center that had been established to direct and support the attack on Kenosha. If they could gather intel great but primarily this was a mission of destruction. They'd landed in the dark eight kilometers from the site on the Zeguma Plain since it was reported by drones that the large invader encampment was heavily patrolled with Banshees flying regular top cover. So they'd have to hump it in, penetrate the cordon, set up the attack and then get back to the extraction point twenty four hours from touchdown. It seemed like a huge amount of time and should dictate a leisurely pace. The reality was quite the opposite. With a depleted team and aggressive defensive measures they'd be lucky to complete the mission and make the extraction point.

None of this was lost on Mike as he checked the tactical and proximity map on the HUD of his helmet. The SPI armor of his team would help with stealth and despite the heat signature of his Mjolnir he'd been doing this for years so knew how to be invisible. That wasn't the problem that concerned him. He was still down one with Matt confined to hospital and Adam though functional was still wounded. The team's second-in-command had been patched up with some Biofoam and he was back at it. Still, the adrenaline rush and the meds counteracting the pain had the usually steady teen in an obvious state of agitation.

So not good circumstances.

Adam felt his eyes shifting back and forth faster than usual as he brought up the rear of the loose column they walked in. Every sense seemed to be alive and several times he had to do a double take of his HUD to be sure nothing was there. The pain from the Spiker wound seemed to be under control but he wasn't sure if that was the mutagens that had been pumped into his brain during enhancement or the nature of a healing wound. The thoughtful teen just knew he felt more aggressive than he usually was. Could it be the fact he was becoming more comfortable with combat and facing Brutes? Or was it the alteration of his brain that was kicking in? Either way, he didn't like it going into this dangerous situation.

Despite the questions being silently asked by the team they made their objective in decent time. Getting through the Covenant security screen had been tricky but the now seasoned team used their training and terrain to their advantage. Two Jackals on guard duty lay dead where they'd been caught by the stealthy Spartans and now the humans observed the active base. Banshees lazily looped high in the sky above, too high to see the stealthy Spartans.

Despite the early hour the temporary base was alive with activity, testimony to a coming attack. This made the human's assault trickier though since there were far more Covenant forces about and the team was down one. Still, they had a job to do and not a lot of time to do it in so after doing a quick assessment Mike laid out the plan. It would be similar to the one they'd carried out earlier in the campaign, there was not time or need for fancy strategy. Terrell would move into a position allowing him to command a view of the base plus also anchor their route of withdrawal, Alissa would go to higher ground and eliminate high value targets leaving Adam, Maia and Mike to move invisibly through the camp placing remotely detonated charges. Different this time though was that the trio would reconvene, blow the charges run through two mags of ammo and then they'd bug out in a tactical withdrawal. No run-and-gun through the camp this time since the enemy was in greater numbers and far more alert. They'd then collapse back to Terrell's position with Alissa covering and bug out from there. The plan seemed simple but promised to be effective if it all came together.

That was the plan.

Mike had allocated seventy-five minutes for the charges to be laid and the assaulting trio to reconvene. Terrell took only fifteen to get set up in his so then relaxed and waited for the show to begin. Alissa took longer as she deviated from her path to silently sneak up on a pair of unalert Grunts on guard duty. Though no real threat to her she couldn't pass up the opportunity. Smoothly drawing her knife she crept up on the pair who were distractedly babbling away with each other in their high-pitched and inflecting voices. Setting her sniper rifle down the teen came aggressively out of the shadows and ran her knife along the closest Unggoy's throat then in one motion pulled back to sever the squat creature's methane breathing tube. The bipedal guard choked and grabbing its throat fell to its knees dying. The second Grunt squawked and tried to run away but Alissa took two quick steps and savagely drove her blade into the Unggoy's chest just past its body armor. The .startled Unggoy was dead before it hit the ground. The sniper looked over her handiwork for a moment before retrieving her rifle and disappearing again into the inky night.

Adam was having trouble controlling his breathing as he crept around the periphery of the camp looking for opportune spots to plant his charges. Several times he had to remind his anxious mind no one could hear him under his helmet. Still, the adrenaline surge and growing unease concerned the Spartan _What's up with all this sneaking around_ , he thought to himself. _We should just attack and be done with. We have the element of surprise, let's just light the place up and be done with it._ The thoughtful teen actually stopped moving for a moment to consider what he'd just contemplated _. Whoa, Adam, what's up with that? You sound more like Matt. Mike has a good plan. It's my job to execute it. Keep it under control._ So with that he took a deep breath and continued to move but still, there was a growing aggression he didn't understand.

With Terrell in position and the rest of the team stealthily moving about setting explosives Alissa kept overwatch. This idea of family continued to bounce around in her mind, causing both intrigue and agitation. She wanted to be part of something meaningful and permanent but wasn't sure she was willing to surrender her independence. She had started taking her Smoothers on their regular cycle but the adrenaline of coming combat was buffeting the calming effect of the mind-stabilizing drugs.

Then the sight of a dark golden armor clad Brute with a retinue of bodyguards surrounding him caught her eye and got her blood pumping. The thorough teen toggled the Oracle N scope to ten times on her SRS99C-S2 sniper rifle to confirm. Though the Brute officer carried a Gravity Hammer if seemed more ceremonial than functional. No, this was definitely a War Chieftain and a high ranking one at that.

The Brute was oblivious to the danger he was in and waved his arms around officiously as if giving instructions all the while moving towards a Phantom whose engines were starting to come to life.

"This is Wolf 4, high value target in sight, preparing to engage," Alissa called out over the comms. "Adjust assault timings to compensate, over."

"Negative 4, wait out," Mike countered the aggressive sniper's report, "We're not in position for the assault."

"Wolf 1, this is a senior command target, likely a Clan Chief or Shipmaster," Alissa countered, not backing down. "Am preparing to take the shot."

"Stand down, Wolf 4," Mike spoke with authority, "that will compromise not only the mission but the team. None are in position."

"Sir, he's preparing to leave, we may not get another chance like this," Alissa shot back through gritted teeth.

"Understood," Mike responded, keeping his voice calm with the intent of trying to defuse the volatile situation. "But you will not engage until instructed, is that clear?"

"Crystal," Alissa answered coldly and then shut off her comms watching the Jiralhanae get on the ship and fly away.

And with that Dokab Castor left the Covenant camp with his retinue, not realizing how closely he'd come to meeting the divines he sought so hard to serve.

Right on time, the charges were set and Mike, Adam and Maia convened at their allocated form up spot. The camp was still alive with activity and the Covenant aircraft coming and going caused some concern for Mike and their ability to remove themselves from the situation. He hoped that once the fireworks started that would be a sufficient distraction to give them a window of opportunity to separate. Regardless, it was going to be tight so timing became key.

"All right, Wolf 4, Wolf 6, stand by," Mike warned Alissa and Terrell, "pick your targets, we're about to light things up."

Mike paused for a moment, ensuring everything was in place. He'd done this type of mission dozens of times before so knew patience was always rewarded. The pause though did nothing but increase Adam's agitation. Now doing nothing he could only look at the groups of Brutes walking casually about the base seemingly laughing and joking with each other. This enraged the sensitive teen who was taken back to the killing of his family as he watched helplessly. Rage built at the recollection to the point he felt he could burst.

"Three…two...one…," Mike counted down. "Now! Go loud!"

A series of loud explosions ripped through the Covenant camp as a succession of remote-controlled explosive charges went off. Fireballs shot high into the night sky lighting the place up. A chain reaction of secondary explosions added to the cacophony as the well-placed charges created maximum damage. Above the sounds of the explosions Alissa's sniper rifle cracked a half dozen times finding targets of opportunity while Terrell's GPMG rattled away as it swept the camp. The three remained Spartans fired quickly through their two allocated mags looking for targets or just trying to enhance the mayhem.

"Pull back to RV point," Mike ordered after emptying his second mag. It was less than three minutes from the initial explosion and the Covenant forces were on their heels having been caught flat-footed. "Wolf 6, cover our movement and then collapse back," he instructed Terrell.

Alissa moved, Mike moved, as did Maia but Adam stayed. The Brutes he saw were confused and disorganized and so he thought to inflict the same kind of fear onto them he'd felt for years.

With a roar he charged towards the camp, MA5C Assault Rifle blazing, oblivious to the fact the aggressive Jiralhanae were actually starting to reorganize.

"Adam!" Maia called out as she turned to the sound of small arms fire.

"Wolf 2, fall back!" Mike ordered desperately as he too responded to what he'd heard.

But Adam was in a different place. His brain was on autopilot, a jumble of stimulus that drove him towards the camp. He'd had some initial success, cutting down a pair of Jackals and a Brute but as he got closer he came out of the darkness of night and into the light of a compound ablaze.

Several of the alien invaders set up to cut down the lone attacking Spartan when just as quickly as he'd come into the light he went out of it. Maia had sprinted back towards him when she'd seen her teammate go back and had angled to intercept him so with a leap had tackled him to the ground.

Deprived of an easy kill against one who had attacked them the Brutes let out angry howls and opened fire into the area Adam had just been. The pair of teen Spartan's SPI armor did provide camouflage but it had no shielding. Maia had landed on top of Adam as she knocked him down so in the initial salvo she was hit in the arm and leg shorting out her cloaking. The Covenant forces then moved in closer for the kill.

Then two fragmentation grenades landed in the midst of the advancing horde spraying hot metal in all directions followed up by a steady stream of Assault Rifle fire meant to disrupt the advance. Mike came charging out of the darkness to stand between the Covenant forces and the two teens still on the ground. The scattered return fire was absorbed by his Mjolnir armor.

"Maia, are you okay?" Mike called out, "Can you walk?"

The usually quiet teen sprang to her feet aggressively, the alteration to her brain kicking in. "I'm good."

"Adam, we need to fall back, now," Mike ordered.

The blond curly haired Spartan also sprang to his feet but countered, "No, let's get them."

Mike cuffed him on the side of his helmet which seemed to snap him out of the fog he was in. "I said move!"

"What am I doing?" Adam said quietly to himself as he came to his senses.

"Let's get out of here, I'll cover your withdrawal," Mike declared turning to throw a grenade and empty the remainder of the clip in his rifle.

Fortunately, though Terrell couldn't see what was going on, he figured out something was up so held his position longer then he was supposed to continue to provide covering fire for the eventual withdrawal of the trio before moving to the RV point himself.

When the five finally came together Alissa shot out, "What the hell was that all about?"

Adam started to stammer a reply but Mike cut him off. "No time for that, we need to get out of here. In five minutes this place is going to crawl. Maia, you able to run?"

"Try to stop me!" she shot back louder than she normally spoke over the comms as the pain caused her brain alteration to kick in.

"All right then, let's go, Alissa lead the way, Adam you're with Maia. Terrell and me will bring up the rear." Mike did a quick tactical assessment of the smartest route out and set a series of waypoints. "Move."

It was a running fight for the next several hours. Fortunately Maia seemed to be less wounded than it appeared so they could travel at a fast pace. Still, several times the Spartans had to turn and push back against their Covenant pursuers. They were also fortunate in that the pursuit didn't appear to be well organized or led, instead driven more by the emotion of seeking revenge rather that tactical gain. In the end it was only a pack of Brutes who doggedly pursued them, the Grunts not being able, or willing, to keep pace and the Jackals in the party losing interest.

The last part of the journey Mike had them travel a twisted and circuitous route in order to time their arrival at the rendezvous point to the minute. His calculation was correct and the Falcon pilot was exact in her timing as well. The five Spartans broke into the opening for the aircraft to land just as it came in over a range of hills. It flared up then settled down in the grass of the opening barely touching down before the team jumped in and it was off. The Brutes pursuing never did see them leave though several could swear they heard howls of anger echoing over the plain.

The ride back to base was uncharacteristically quiet. None on the team spoke, instead seeking to be alone in their thoughts yet a tension hung thick in the air that even a casual observer could pick up. Mike was happy for the silence to collect his thoughts. While the mission had been successful it turned out to be a near-run thing that wasn't good. He had another team member wounded, how badly he wasn't sure, another who'd nearly compromised the mission and then there was Adam. His charging into the base rather than pulling back as was the plan stumped Mike. The disciplined teen had never done anything like that before which puzzled the Lone Wolf. He realized though that he'd only known them for weeks now. His initial plan was they were not to be operational for another month and now they'd been thrust into combat. He reminded himself Noble Team had been together for years before he joined it and they were all experienced operators. So all things considered, he couldn't be too hard on the teens, they'd been performing superbly.

Then there was the issue of their minds being altered.

Every time Mike thought about what had been done to his teammates it angered him. It was bad enough the difficult physical alterations they'd all gone through but these Spartans from Gamma company had also the frontal lobes of their brains altered using illegal drugs to enhance their strength, aggression and tolerance to injury.

So as frustrated as the leader of the Wolf Pack was at the sometimes erratic behaviour of those in his team he was also determined to be fair to them since he knew they were fighting these changes to themselves as well as this savage enemy. It wasn't fair, but then life isn't always fair and war never is.

The Falcon the five were crammed into touched down and immediately Mike sprang into action. There was no knowing how long a respite they'd have. He saw Natalia standing at the edge of the landing pad and as much as he wanted to see her he had business to take care of.

"Maia, get to the infirmary and get yourself checked out," Mike asked.

"I'm good to go," the usually reserved teen shot back, "I don't need to go to the hospital."

"Go get looked over, I want to be sure you don't end up with an infection or something," the Lone Wolf countered. "That's an order."

Maia sulked off without a word.

Then Mike saw Alissa.

Helmet off, the stormy Spartan glared at him, telegraphing she was unhappy. "So, do we need to talk about this?" Mike said, walking over to her.

Terrell grabbed his GPMG and silently left, heading towards the team area.

"You let him get away," was all Alissa would say through pursed lips.

"It would have…," Mike began but was cut off.

"That could have been the commander for the whole area, and I could have taken him out," Alissa declared angrily.

"Yes, and that would have not only blown the whole mission but put all of us at risk," Mike countered.

"But killing that Brute could have changed things," she shot back doggedly.

Mike breathed heavily and rubbed his temple. "There's always going to be another Covenant commander. Hell, you could kill one of their Prophets and the show would go on."

"But…"

"But nothing Alissa," this time it was Mike who cut her off. "There's only one of us though. If we foolishly get ourselves killed trying to make a big score that solves nothing and helps no one. We stay on mission so that there'll be another mission."

"This war is never going to end," Alissa retorted, more in frustration now than anger.

"Maybe, but for us it has to be more than about that. Listen, I've heard you guys talking a bit lately about family," Mike softened his tone and saw he had the aggressive sniper's attention. "That's what it has to be about for us, working together, being a force multiplier and ultimately watching out for each other and seeing we all get home. Yes, you could have taken the shot and taken out that commander and it could have may a big difference, for a while. But then at what cost? Our mission is blown and the rest of us are exposed. We barely got out as it was," he paused and looked hard at Adam who still sat motionless in his seat in the Falcon, "if you'd taken that shot, none of us might have."

"It just sucks," she said, looking down at the ground, emotion suddenly heavy in her voice.

"You're right, it does, and I get it, you want to make a difference, you want to believe you can do something to end this war," Mike stated, hitting the nail on the head. "You're an excellent Spartan and I'm glad you're on my team but I also want to see all of us come out of this for as long as we can and still get the job done. That's why I didn't let you take the shot."

Alissa paused, still looking down at the ground. Then she looked up and her eyes were glassy. "Sorry, sir, I just….," her voice broke.

"It's okay, there's no need. It's all good," Mike cut her off, not letting her go to that place which only ended in despair. He put his hand affectionately on her shoulder and added, "you asked and I said no. I want you to keep being who you are, that's what makes you special and so important to our team, but I also want you to trust me, okay?"

"Got it, thanks," Alissa replied, collecting herself. "Thanks again for understanding. I'll see you later. " And with that she walked away as well leaving Mike and Adam alone.

"So what happened out there, Adam?" Mike got right to the point.

"I don't know, Mike," Adam replied, not making eye contact. "It was like I was someone else out there. I was pretty jacked up the whole mission and then when the explosion went off I just lost it."

"You current with your Smoothers?" Mike asked, guessing what the root cause of his usually steady 2ic was.

"Yea, I just had trouble getting a grip on myself. It's still this Brute thing."

"Adam, you can't let that happen again," Mike said as fairly as he could. "You put the mission at risk and Maia got wounded as a result." He could see the comment hurt the sensitive teen but he had to make his point. "Listen, I know they did something to alter your mind, that's why you need the Smoothers, but you need to do what you can to control it. If you're off let me know, we can work through this together. Don't try to do this alone, all right."

"All right." Adam's face flushed with shame. "I just thought…I tried to handle it, you know? I thought I could keep it under control…I just…," he let his voice trail off.

"No more lone wolf stuff, okay?" Mike stated the irony of the statement not lost on him. He too had had to overcome that same frame of mind. "We're in this together, so let's do it together."

"Got it," Adam declared, looking up and new resolve in his eyes. "Thanks, I won't let it happen again."

"Good. Enough said. I want you to check on Maia and get a med state on her, plus see how Matt's doing," Mike ordered knowing the teen needed activity to shake the embarrassment he felt. "See that everyone gets chow and are re-armed. We don't know when we'll be going out again. Let's be ready."

"Yes sir!" Adam threw up a crisp salute and moved away with a renewed purpose.

And Mike was finally alone, though Natalia continued to wait for him so he walked over to see her.

"Great job out there, Mike," Natalia greeted him enthusiastically but then seeing the look on his face checked her eagerness. "Everything okay?"

"Just a rough mission," Mike countered slowly, shaking his head, suddenly aware of how tired he was.

"Anything I can do to help?" she asked hopefully but knowing the answer before it was spoken.

"No, it's good," Mike replied absently, "I got it sorted."

"Well, I'm glad your back," Natalia smiled at him taking his gloved hand into hers.

Though the scene of the uniformed woman trying to envelope the hand of the much larger Spartan would have appeared somewhat comical to the observer, for Mike, the blissful state it caused suddenly made him feel like everything was going to be all right.

The bliss was short lived.

Perhaps spurned on by the attack on their forward operating base the Covenant assaulted Kenosha in earnest coming at the humans hard. But still, there was no attempt to do anything other than charge in in a linear way so it was like waves pounding against a breakwater. Though now possessing air and armor elements they never seemed to be used in any form of co-ordinated strategy so while the fight was savage at times it never achieved the force possible for their size. Instead they came at the well-stocked and well laid out human defenders in a piecemeal fashion allowing the UNSC forces to turn back attack after attack. While the Covenant casualties mounted up the human cost had been relatively light.

On the second day, the Brute-led assaults were so poorly led and so desperate that Colonel Ackerson released his ODST elements to begin offensive operations. The aggressiveness on the humans seemed to confuse and then enrage the Covenant commanders and so they seemed to totally lose the initiative but still they continued to throw more troops into the grinder and each time they were chewed up. It was a slaughter that only encouraged the humans since rarely did they experience anything so easy, that and the rallying cry 'remember Reach' echoed up and down the line. With many of the UNSC troops having fought in that desperate battle their losses were still fresh in mind so a new ferocity was directed towards the Covenant attackers. It was a deadly combination and one that spelled doom for the invaders. So after several days of futile attempts to break the human line the Covenant began to withdraw from contact to lick their wounds.

 **November 4, 2552, 1340 Hours, Mare Erythraeum Region, Plant Mars**

The Prophet of Truth sat imperiously on top of his flying disc looking out with beady brown eyes towards Lepidus. "It appears, shipmaster, that our friend Castor has failed in his assault at great cost and yet you have done very well in yours." The San'Shyuum smoothed out a fold in his silken red robe on the hologram. "It appears as if I may have chosen wrong."

"The gods have favored me, Excellency," Lepidus responded humbly, barely able to suppress the delighted grin. "And with your inspired guidance that favour has only increased since you have taken over from your colleague the Prophet of Regret."

"Hmmm," Truth drummed his spindly fingers on his chin as he considered the statement, "Regret was premature in his actions bringing you here with such a small force."

"I always thought it was a foolish strategy, Excellency, but I live only to obey," Lepidus lied, enjoying the unfolding conversation immensely. "Then we were favored with your leadership and all has changed, thanks be to the gods."

Truth nodded with satisfaction at the perceived deference from the Brute Chieftain. "Well then I empower you, shipmaster, to press the attack as you see fit, bring these humans to submission. Enough time has been wasted. Let us move on with the vital mission of recovering the sacred artefacts as we move forward on the Great Journey."

"As you wish it, so shall it be done," Lepidus responded.

The prophet's holo disappeared and Lepidus couldn't help but chuckle.

"So, how did it go?" Mygaeum asked, coming into his clansmen's chamber.

"As expected. We are now in supreme control here. Call my pack leaders together, its time we move forward with the next phase of my plan."


	38. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37**

 **November 4, 2552, 0815 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Plant Mars**

"It appears as if Covenant activities have shifted to the south," Colonel Ackerson reported to the collected group of officers. He'd called them all together after there'd been a lull in activity. Earlier in the morning he'd had a holo conference with General Sheridan so now was reporting the recent developments in the battle for Mars. "A large, new battle group has begun operations in the Mare Erythraeum region. Our forces there are being overwhelmed and so I will be leaving with the bulk of the command here along with air support to stop them." The senior officer paused to allow the news to sink in.

"And what about the Covenant units in this area?" one of the senior officers asked.

"Colonel Toliver with 8th and 11th Armored will stay here to clean up along with the Wolf Pack and Wolverines. They'll then remain as a blocking force for this region.

There was a murmur of surprise at the announcement. Mike was surprised by the decision but held his tongue knowing things could change quickly.

"The entire ODST contingent will be coming with me," Ackerson continued, ignoring the obvious dissent at the idea of leaving the Spartan contingent behind. "Battalion commanders report to me at 1100 hours for more detailed orders and route package. Main body moves at first light tomorrow, so issue your warning orders immediately. Command element with security and a recon element will move out at 1400 this afternoon. So I suggest you get moving. We've a lot to do before now and then."

The briefing broke into small pockets of officers who began to discuss the new development. Many seemed unhappy but took the news in stride since that was the nature of politics, even in war.

Mike turned to leave and as expected Natalia was standing right there and she didn't look happy. No longer did the pair try to keep their relationship a secret. Though not flagrant it was obvious to any who observed they were a couple. There had been much talk about a Spartan being in a relationship, especially when it was discovered the beautiful woman in question was named Misriah. Some were jealous, others envious, but it had been not an unpleasant distraction for the base as they'd been fighting for the region. By this point in the war the consensus opinion was that anyone who could find a measure of happiness was fortunate indeed.

"You okay with this decision?" Natalia asked angrily.

"It is what it is," Mike responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well I'm not," the fiery woman huffed.

Mike couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction which caused her angrily to punch him in the arm.

"What?" Natalia asked in confusion. "What's so funny?"

"I don't know, just your reaction, I guess," Mike answered. "You've changed. I bet six months ago you wouldn't have cared a bit about something like this."

Natalia paused to consider the statement a moment. "You're right, I hardly recognize myself sometimes," she couldn't help but chuckle herself. "Yes, a lot has changed hasn't it?" She took his hand and held it.

"Yea, it has."

"And I love you, you know that, right?" Natalia declared, face lighting up.

"I do, and I love you too," Mike answered, giving her hand a squeeze.

"But you know why they're leaving you behind, don't you?" the world-wise woman asked, getting very serious.

"I don't know, it's just orders," Mike shrugged again, a bit confused.

Natalia shook her head at the naiveté of the man she loved. It only seemed to increase his charm. "It's because of us."

"Wait a second…no…I mean," Mike stammered and then realized the reality of what she was saying. "It can't be."

"Trust me, it is."

"So you're telling me Colonel Ackerson would deliberately compromise operational efficiency because he doesn't like us being together?"

"That's what I'm saying."

"But that's not right," Mike countered doggedly. "Why?"

"I don't know," Natalia admitted. "Jealousy of what we have or maybe because he thinks we're a distraction to each other, only he knows."

Mike shook his head incredulously. "We just can't seem to win, can we?"

"Hey! We're going to figure out a way to make this work," Natalia stated with determination. "No more fatalism."

"Yes ma'am," Mike teased which brought another playful punch to the arm. He thought about it a bit more and a renewed resolve entered in. "We'll be here a few days and clean things up and then I'll figure a way to get us back to the main battle group. I suspect they'll be needing Spartans before too long in Mare Erythraeum."

"Promise?" Natalia asked playfully yet with a measure of fear in her heart for what the days ahead held. "No matter what?"

"No matter what," Mike stated with determination, taking her face in his hand. "I promise. We've gone through too much to let this war keep us apart. I'll never be far from where you are." As if to seal the promise Mike Nantz did something he thought he'd never do. He reached down and proactively kissed the woman who hungrily responded, not caring who saw or what they thought.

The pair spent as much time together as they could in the ensuing hours but that turned out to be quite short as there was much to do. The good news for the Lone Wolf was Maia and Adam were both cleared for a return to duty. Adam in particular had seemed to return to his old state and that was an encouragement. The bad news was Matt was still off line. Mike had to order him to remain in the hospital for his last cycle of treatment especially when he found out they were going out on a mission.

On schedule the command element pulled out. Mike was there to watch Natalia who in turn returned the stare, eyes glassy.

"Sucks, don't it?" Gunny MacGregor asked, putting a hand compassionately on Mike's shoulder.

"Yea, it does, but that's war," he replied, trying not to sound forlorn.

"Be glad for what ye have," the ODST NCO replied in his thick Scottish brogue. "She's a fine gal and ye've got much to hold on to. Let that drive you in the days ahead and not be a distraction. In this whole shitty war there's scare little to cheer about. This is. Let it motivate you."

"Thanks Hank," Mike responded genuinely, touched by the sentiment and approval. "Let's get to work."

And that's just what they did. The next day they received their first assignment from Colonel Toliver. They were to assist in clearing out a concentration of Covenant trying to rally.

"This is bogus," Alissa complained as the Falcon flew the Wolf Pack to their objective. "I mean anyone can take care of cleanup, we should be in the main fight."

"There's a group of Covvies holed up in a cave system," Mike responded, feeling some of the sniper's exasperation. "It would cost a lot of troops to flush them out."

"Oh, so they send the expendable soldiers, hmm?" Alissa retorted using the early designation they all knew and hated.

"No, they send the best they've got," Adam broke in. "We're Spartans, that's what we do."

Mike was happy for the renewed focus of his 2ic. He didn't like the assignment much better than Alissa. A group of Brutes and supporting forces had moved into a cave system within striking distance of the city. They didn't know numbers or even the full complexity of the system. They were going in blind with only a squad of Wolverines to back them up while MacGregor and the remainder of the team worked with Colonel Toliver.

The Falcon with the Spartans and Pelican with Wolverines touched down within sight of the wide opening to the caves but all was quiet. A group of UNSC Army troopers were guarding the entrance with the remainder of a company holding the area. The captain in charge threw up a salute to Mike as the team approached in respect for what they represented.

"We've got the area contained," the bald headed soldier reported. "We believe this is the only way in or out but can't be sure. We're glad you're here to clean this up."

"No worries, captain," Mike responded, liking this less and less.

"Oh, and someone came in earlier this morning to provide assistance," the captain added, gesturing to an armoured Spartan with helmet off a few meters away.

"Mel!" Mike exclaimed in shock as he recognized his friend's armor.

"Hello Michael," she responded with a grin. "I was in the area so thought I'd pop by."

"It's good to see you and good to see you're okay."

"You and your team have done well, from what I've heard," the Beta Company Spartan offered. "Hey guys," she acknowledged the rest of the team.

"Hi Mel!" they greeted her enthusiastically.

"I've done a preliminary recce," Melanie declared, letting everyone know it was time to get down to business. "The entrance area is clear, they've gone deeper. I was able to get a rough outline of the tunnel system which is good."

"But?" Mike asked, knowing she hadn't told them everything.

"But this cave system was mined a bunch of years ago so there's a lot of sub tunnels and passages that don't show up on the schematic. The place is honeycombed. Oh, and comms may get a bit wonky, there seems to be some interference at times because of the rock structure."

"Well that's just wonderful," Alissa retorted.

"It is what it is," Terrell declared with a shrug of his shoulders.

 _No wonder the Army didn't want to tackle this_ , Mike thought to himself. "All right people, no time like the present. Mel, you scout and id targets, I'll take point since I'm the best armoured. The rest follow in succession. Let's get in there and get the job done."

Entering into a high antechamber they moved forward, Melanie blending into the rock, Mike moving deliberately in the center of the path big enough to drive a truck through. Motion trackers, thermal and infra-red were all up and scanning and the way within range were clear. Mike dismissed cloaking as a problem since he'd yet to see an Elite in this campaign and Brutes didn't have the technology.

Starting to move deeper into the system the light from the opening to the caves was lost but there was low illumination emanating from a system of lights in the tunnel. The composition and age looked human so these were likely remnants of the mining operations from the past rather than a recent addition. Still the Covenant forces in the caves had been able to turn it on which negated some of the human's stealth elements. Regardless, Mike's plan was simple- push steadily forward, engage and eliminate the enemy. His HUD showed the general area but they had only a rudimentary map to overlay so much of this would be blind despite Melanie's scouting.

The humans had moved steadily but carefully forward for a half hour before a splash of red on their HUDs indicated the presence of enemy. Mike had already painted all of his team on the IFF so they were set for the contest to begin. Still, they didn't need the tracker since the sound of warbling voices drifted due to the natural echo of the stone tunnel. It was clearly Grunts nervously holding a position which they'd already given away. Even though their sealed helmets gave away no sound Mike used hand signals for Mel, Adam and Alissa to move forward and remove the guard post. The trio slipped forward into the inky twilight of the low-lit tunnel with the remainder moving in behind them. The Spartans almost seemed to come right out of the rock to swiftly attack a trio of Unggoy holding a small cave. They grunted in surprise and the moment's hesitation cost them their lives. The humans charged in with knives drawn to dispatch the squat creatures with well-aimed cuts. One was able to get off a wild shot from a Plasma Pistol but other than that it was carried out swiftly and quietly.

Seconds late Mike and the rest of the team joined them out of the murky sub light of the tunnel. "Good job guys, lets press on."

It didn't take long before they ran into their next obstacle.

Six foes had been painted on the Spartan's IFF but despite trying to come into the bigger chamber more quietly the previous attack must have been heard because right before they entered the air lit up as several sizzling plasma bolts ripped through the air catching one of the trailing ODSTs off guard. The Covenant had set up a Plasma Cannon to guard this particular entrance. The tripod-mounted support weapon opened up and began to hammer the tunnel with superheated plasma rounds. Mike jumped forward to take several direct hits that would have melted the Spartan III's SPI armor and at the same time threw two grenades in quick succession. This Plasma Cannon had an energy shield so though the gun wasn't damaged the Grunt gunner was momentarily startled and stopped firing.

"Let's go!" Mike yelled and charged into the chamber, the others following.

There were two Jackals and four Grunts in total so as the human's entered in the room filled up fast. The cannon started up scoring three direct hits dropping his shielding but that was all the time the Supersoldier needed to come up and grab the turret and flip it on its side spilling the startled Grunt out onto the stone floor. Terrell used his GPMG as a battering ram and bull rushed one of the Jackals frying its shielding and pinning it to the wall. Alissa fired her sniper rifle point blank which dropped the other Kig Yar's shield allowing Maia to come in and dispatch the Jackal with a short burst from her BR55 Battle Rifle. Two roaring Brutes charged into the chamber but were met by a hail of 9.5x40mm rounds from the supporting ODSTs BR55 Service Rifles.

The remaining Grunts panicked with their support weapon down and tried to scatter but Adam mowed down one and two of the Wolverines the other while Mike had already grabbed the cannon gunner and lifted the squealing creature up and slammed it several times into the stone wall of the small cavern.

The sound of the short, sharp fight echoed throughout the tunnels.

"If they didn't know we were here, they will now," Mike commented. "We need to move more cautiously from now on."

To emphasize the point several plasma bolts wildly flew from the opposite corridor and splashed into the cavern nearly hitting Terrell and one of the ODSTs who'd been providing security.

"Guess they know we're here," the machine gunner commented without any humour.

"Let's move," Mike ordered.

Again, with the Lone Wolf in the lead and Melanie close behind the humans travelled steadily down the tunnel carved from stone until they approached a smaller sub-tunnel about 30 meters to their right.

Mike held up his hand to halt the advance. "Hold! Where does that one go?" he asked, head nodding towards the option.

"Unknown," Melanie replied. "It's not on the map that I have. One of the main processing points for the system is still about 1500 meters on this course. I don't know where this one goes."

Mike heard several in the party breath heavily in frustration at the lack of information but that didn't distract him. "Copy that. We continue on this course to the main cavern and clear it. We proceed with caution."

The leader of the Wolf Pack held the others back and moved to the darkened tunnel hugging the wall, Melanie shadowing him to provide cover. Coming to look inside he wasn't surprised to see two Jackals back in the darkness. As they spotted him they snapped on their energy shield and fired off several rounds from Plasma Repeaters. The corridor lit up and while Mike was hit by several lowering his shield the Mjolnir armor held. Satisfied it was only the two he returned fire with his Assault Rifle which caused the pair of Kig-Yar to instinctively hunker down behind. That allowed the Spartan to toss a grenade in which fried the shield and he followed up with a sustained burst of armor-piercing fire that shredded the two.

As the sound of the short encounter echoed down the main tunnel Mike began to push the pace. There was no longer any chance they'd be able to surprise the alien invaders so now the wise tactician didn't want to give them time to set up. Continuing on they came up to several other spur lines into the main corridor but continued on the wider, seemingly main path finding each to be empty. Halting within range of the large cavern to their front already their HUDs were lighting up with red splashes indicating a sizeable enemy force.

"Only one way in and they know we're coming," Mike told the rest of the force. "So we need to go in fast and hard. We drop smoke grenades then push in. Alissa, use your SMG, there won't be opportunity for sniping in this one. Work with Adam and Alissa. I'll take point and absorb as much of the initial fire as my shields will allow. Terrell, base of fire and hammer the far end of the cavern, keep their heads down then walking fire as we advance. Mel, do what you do best and melt into the background. Disrupt any attempts they make to rally. Wolverines, you travel in our wake taking out anything we miss. You're also flank and fire base security. Questions?" Receiving none he finished with, "Good luck."

Approaching the entrance dull light emanated from the cavern that opened up wide and seemed to rise up thirty meters. The sounds of excited Grunts and yelling Brutes that came out showed they were expecting an assault.

The attackers didn't disappoint.

Five smoke grenades were tossed into the cavern that was strewn with boxes and mining equipment. The response from the Covenant forces was to wildly open fire without being able to see anything. Mike charged into the crucible first, the others following in his wake. Using the IFF on his HUD the Lone Wolf first threw three grenades in short succession blasting any concentration of forces he could pick up. Then he switched to methodical fire with his Assault Rifle. Firing and smoothly reloading the Spartan remained aware of the volume of fire being directed towards him. He'd attracted the lions share and his shield indicator reflected this as it drained. Finally beginning to overwhelm the system an alarm claxon went off warning him of armor failure. But the experienced Supersoldier ducked behind some machinery to allow his shielding to recharge.

Meanwhile the other members of the Wolf Pack were fully engaged. Terrell had set up behind a set of large metal shipping containers and began the staccato of 7.62 full metal jacket suppressing fire. Adam, Maia and Alissa bobbed and weaved throughout the cluttered space exposing themselves only long enough to fire at the beleaguered defenders and fall back to cover. The strategy of Mike being in the forefront and the others stinging and ducking into cover was infuriatingly effective to the Brutes running the defense. Their roars of frustration rose above the din of small arms fire and explosions filling the room. The smoke from the initial salvo of smoke grenades still hung in the air creating confusion for the Covenant defenders but the UNSC forces used their HUDs effectively to find concentrations of Covenant and attack.

Melanie meanwhile used her stealth and camouflage abilities to flit in and out of the fight. She'd pop out of the shadows to blast a Brute seeking to rally the troops then disappear and moments late appear in another location to take out a Skirmisher trying to snipe the UNSC troops. The result was the recon Spartan had the Covenant forces not only off balance but looking over their shoulders.

As that was going on the ODSTs in the attacking party maintained strict movement discipline following up behind the Spartans to eliminate any remaining threats. Twice Brutes tried to flank the Supersoldiers to be met by a wall of armor-piercing lead from the Helljumpers who stopped them cold. Like a scythe slicing through fall wheat the UNSC forces methodically moved from one end of the cavern to another clearing everything in its path. Seeing they'd been beaten a number of the Covenant forces began to retreat in disorder down several tunnels at the far end of the corridor even including some Brutes.

Then as quickly as the fight began it was over.

"Should we press on after them, sir?" the commander of the ODST contingent asked Mike.

"No, let's consolidate. We need a better idea of the lay of the land before we move forward," Mike wisely countered. "They're broken; this will be a clean-up operation only. Let's get chow and take ten."

"Roger that."

Mike sat down on a low box and removed his helmet. With a soft _hiss_ the seal broke and he breathed in the musty air in the cavern not sure if he preferred that to the stale recycled oxygen in his helmet. Still, he was alive and so was everyone else. Other than the one ODST wounded earlier on and evacuated they'd only had two others sustain minor wounds. His senses were alive and he felt an exhilaration he'd never experienced before. _So this is what it feels like to be a man and not a machine_ , the Spartan mused to himself. For so many years he'd turned his emotions off and then of late there'd been the awkward period where Natalia had brought them to life.

Natalia.

He wondered what she was doing, could see her smile in his mind and that caused him to smile.

"What ya thinking?" Melanie asked, coming over to sit beside him, helmet off as well.

"Nothin, just relaxing,'" Mike answered, face reddening.

The observant Spartan looked at him a moment and countered, "You're thinking about that Misriah chick, aren't you?"

"Listen, Mel," Mike shot back, eyes coming alive.

She held her hand up to silence him. "It's okay Mike. I'm not here to rip on her or what you guys got going. I've been watching you guys and I think I might have been wrong about her. You care for her, don't you?"

"I love her."

"I have to admit, I don't get that but I can also see that makes you happy and Michael if anyone deserves it that would be you," Melanie declared genuinely. "In the end I just want you to be happy."

"But what about…"

"Us?" the intuitive woman finished the sentence. "I confess I thought about it. We had something a long time ago, something special, but I just can't get my head around this whole relationship thing. You're my brother; anything more would be kind of weird. We went through hell together at Currahee which means you mean more to me than probably anyone else in the world but not in that way. I frankly wouldn't want to risk what we have on romance."

"So does that mean you're okay with her and me?" Mike asked, barely able to believe what he was hearing.

"If that makes you happy, and I can see it in your eyes you are, I'm fine with it." Melanie chuckled at the happy look that flooded over her friend's face. "My job is to observe and I can see she genuinely loves you too. I'm sorry I misjudged her. I'm also happy for the two of you, as much as all this romance shit makes me sick. But know this Michael Nantz, if she hurts you, I'll slit her throat."

Mike burst out laughing which led to startled looks from the rest of the Wolf Pack and ODSTs. "Fair enough. Thanks Mel. That means more to me than you can imagine. I'm glad we have each other. Now let's go hunt some Covenant."

For the next several days the Wolf Pack and Wolverines pursued the remnant of the Covenant force hiding in the caves and kept them from rallying. When they walked out not only did they now have an extensive map of the complex but not one of the invaders was left alive.

Coming back into the light of the surface felt good for all the troops that had gone underground days earlier. Regardless of environmental suits it was good to be breathing fresh and it felt good to be back in the sunlight and victorious. Reconnecting with the remainder of the team Mike had a chance to talk to Gunny MacGregor. The one-armed senior NCO almost had a glow of excitement about to be back in combat and that made Mike happy

"Hey sir, how's it going," a black haired trooper came up to greet Mike then ran off to join his squad, as the pair talked.

It took Mike a moment to register who it was. "Thorne, right?" he asked Gunny MacGregor.

"Yes sir."

"How's he doing?"

"I have to confess, sir, I had my doubts," MacGregor reminded in his thick accent. "But it's been the damndest thing, the kids got spunk. He's kept up every step of the way. Good trooper."

"Glad to hear it," Mike responded, relieved he hadn't saddled the Wolverines with someone unworthy. "All right, let's get back to business."

Hundreds of kilometers away Natalia looked at the Battle Diary she'd been keeping. If was hard to believe it was already November 9th. By now she and the others had figured out the Covenants true intention was to undertake the conquest of Mars through the Mare Erythraeum region. They'd come with the reinforcements from Kenosha and set up their operations center in Tricode Village. Even from the get go with the reinforcements things hadn't gone well. The Brute-led forces here had no hesitancy like they'd had in Kenosha. These ones were like a hammer on an anvil relentlessly pounding away at the human defenders. The result was they weren't able to form up and take any initiative at all. They'd been pushed back on their heels right from arrival and it had only gotten worse from there.

Natalia sat in the M313 Elephant as it lumbered to a new forward operations area. Colonel Ackerson had the headquarters moved since the battle raging around them had become fluid and out of control. The Brute-led Covenant forces in this region were well led and extremely aggressive constantly keeping the UNSC forces back on the defensive giving up ground. To the intelligent woman it felt a lot like Reach again.

Except this time there would be no extraction.

Natalia thought about her father for the first time in days and wondered what he was doing. Guilt welled up from within that she'd not tried to contact him to let him know she was okay. The ONI officer had received regular reports on the state of the battle for Earth but thus far the areas Spanner Misriah would be in were untouched. He was likely in the bunker in upstate New York in America she thought. Natalia considered anew what had led her powerful and focused father to arrange to have extracted from Reach. She'd been furious and had unleashed the fullness of her anger on him but suddenly began to see it in a different light. The man had so much and yet he truly seemed to only want to be in her life. For the first time she wanted to talk to him, to try to explain her feelings, to tell him she loved him.

But she couldn't.

Natalia longed to talk to Mike about this. Despite all her father had done to keep them apart Mike had never spoken badly or against her father. He'd seemed to understand and appreciate what had happened in a way a headstrong daughter couldn't. No, Mike would know what to say. She missed him and longed to talk to him. It had only been four days but her body ached to be held by him. Though they'd never been together intimately she'd imagined more times than she could remember what it would feel like. It seemed like he wanted to as well but there'd never been the time and she'd not wanted to rush him. Still, a longing ache filled her.

 _Boom_

An explosion went off causing the massive Elephant to shake.

"Contact!" the voice of one of the drivers reported over the comms. "We have major Covenant inbound, we are under attack."

"All elements, evasive maneuvers," the convoy commander barked over the comms. "Protect the command element, we are being engaged!"

Mike sat in his office in the barracks moodily looking at the walls. It had been two days since they'd had any action; the Covenant forces in the region had been destroyed, and so they'd sat in a holding pattern. He'd been receiving reports on the fighting in Mare Erythraeum and it didn't look good. He doubted his team would have made even a dent in the Covenant attack but at least they should have been there. Other troops had been rushed into the area to shore up the defenses of this critical region of Mars but it seemed too little too late.

And yet the Wolf Pack and Wolverines had continued to sit.

Mike's thoughts were interrupted by Gunny MacGregor who burst into his office unannounced, a look of urgency on his face.

"Sir, Ackerson's command element was attacked and overrun," the ODST NCO reported. "They got caught in a road move and ambushed."

"And?" Mike asked, leaping to his feet and fearing what he'd hear.

"And everyone was either killed or captured by Brutes."


	39. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38 –November 10, 2552, 1345 Hours Kenosha, Tanais Region, Planet Mars**

"Mars is lost, I'm ordering the general evacuation of all remaining forces from the planet," General Sheridan reported via holo to those assembled at the base in Kenosha. "This is immediate and complete. Fighting withdrawal to New Harmony and the spaceport. We still hold it and a lane out but make no mistake, that's closing fast so speed is of the essence."

Mike listened to the order and felt his heart rate increasing. The overrunning of Mars by the Covenant invaders had been breathtakingly swift. Where only a week earlier the human defenders had seemed to be in control and holding the planet now they risked entire annihilation. There seemed to be limited glassing of the planet thus far with the attackers seeming to want to occupy the planet for the time being. None the less their victory was now obvious. Ever since the Lone Wolf had received the message about the capture of the convoy Natalia had been travelling in he'd worked tirelessly to try to obtain information about what was going on with them. He'd been heartened to find out most seemed to be alive and at a place behind the Covenant line. Now they'd received an order to pull out and he remembered his promise to the one who was now the light of his life.

"Sir, we have a solid transponder hit on Colonel Ackerson and his command party," Mike interjected, not being able to hold back and not caring about the breach of protocol. "We could go and get them."

"Negative, Spartan," Sheridan shot back without giving the idea a thought, "there's no time and I'm not putting more troops at risk. Everyone pulls out on schedule."

"But…,"

"No buts, that's an order." The general then looked to the others signalling there'd be no more discussion. "Good luck and god speed. Sheridan out."

"All right people, you heard the man, prep to evac," Colonel Toliver ordered. "I want wheels rolling in 2 hours."

As the other officers and command staff dispersed to put in motion the evacuation of the base and city Mike sat stunned at the finality of what he'd heard. He understood the logic and correctness of it but still he couldn't accept it. He'd tried to get in touch with Natalia, had tried to find out any information since the stunning news of their capture and finally he'd been able to get their location. And it all now seemed for naught.

Colonel Toliver noticed the tall Spartan not moving like the others so came to where he sat with an absent expression on his face. "Talk to me Mike, what's going on in your head."

"Sir, we have a transponder hit on them. We know where they are," the Lone Wolf reiterated emphatically.

"You heard the general," Toliver answered. "It's too risky, the window's closing. Even if by some miracle you could get them and get them out you'd likely be too late and be left behind."

"It's not right to leave people behind like this. Just give me one Pelican. I'll go alone and get them. No one else needs to be put at risk."

Toliver looked at the Supersoldier with compassion in his eyes. He'd come to have a fatherly affection for the legendary Spartan in the short time he'd known him. "Listen Mike, I understand how you feel, I truly do. I'm not unaware of your relationship and so it's natural you'd want to do something in this circumstance. But just because you've got a transponder fix doesn't mean she's alive. It's a needless risk and I'm not going to allow you to go after bodies. I'm sorry, I really am. This damned war has cost all of us a lot. But there's nothing to it. No, best you roll out with the rest of us."

The colonel gave Mike a compassionate pat on the shoulder and left the man to his thoughts.

"She's not dead!" Mike said emphatically to himself. He could feel in his heart Natalia was still alive. "I'm not leaving her behind," he said to himself quietly. "I made a promise and I'm not going to break it."

A plan began to form in the mind of Mike Nantz and as the others in Kenosha prepared to leave he became more solidly committed to a different course of action. His words to Natalia and promise he'd made right before she left echoed in his mind. For most of his life the man had felt the major decisions were out of his hands. Now he believed that finally he could take control of his destiny, even if it only lasted for a few more hours. And for the first time he truly felt like a man rather than a creation of science. So, with steely determination he began to put his plan in motion as the clock ticked down.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Adam's voice broke Mike out of his thoughts as he stuffed ammo into a utility bag.

"We've been getting ready to evac as ordered but we don't get the sense that's your plan. What's up?" the young 2ic of the Wolf Pack correctly surmised.

Mike looked around and saw the rest of the team begin the blond curly haired teen. "Listen guys, you continue as ordered but I'm not going with you. Adam, you're in charge of the team until further orders."

"You're going after Natalia, right?" Adam pressed in since all of them were aware of the transponder fix.

"I have to. I made a promise. But I'm not going to drag you into this," Mike answered, avoiding the team's penetrating stares.

"But we're supposed to be a family."

That was the voice of Alissa which shocked Mike.

"All along you've been saying we're in this together," the fiery sniper declared. "You've always been there for us. And now that you need us we're out? That's not fair."

"I can't ask you to do this. Its disobeying orders and will likely get me killed," Mike countered though touched by the sentiment.

"Who said you asked us? We want to come with you."

That was the voice of Matt who entered the room in full armor less his helmet to join the rest of the team.

"Matt! What are you doing here?"

"I was released as part of the evacuation," the burly assaulter answered. "I've been cleared for action."

"But…you can't…," Mike stammered, suddenly unsure. I mean…"

"We're family," Alissa restated emphatically.

"Yes, haven't you learned that yet, Michael?"

Another voice joined the conversation and Mike was shocked to see Melanie walk into the room wearing her full array of recon armor.

"Mel, what are you doing here?" Mike asked, starting to feel a bit overwhelmed.

"Duh," she responded glibly than turned to the rest of the Wolf Pack. "He's not very bright sometimes, is he?" she quipped.

The others shrugged their shoulders, not knowing what to say.

"But I didn't think you even liked Natalia," Mike questioned Melanie, overwhelmed by what was going on.

"I don't," she replied, eyes flashing, "but I like you and want to see you come out of this in one piece."

Mike looked at the teenage warriors and then his former teammate from Beta Company and his heart filled with more than pride. He'd felt that already but this was more. It was deep and meaningful and seemed like some kind of love. Yes, it was different then the love he felt for Natalia and drove him on this desperate mission but it had many of the same characteristics. This was a kinship that could only be shaped through a shared experience in a desperate situation. No, it was love.

"Thanks guys," Mike stated, voice inflecting. He swallowed hard and continued, "this means more to me than I can say. I mean…"

"Come on," Matt cut him off, "let's down to business."

That caused the others to laugh, cutting the tension of the moment.

"Wolf Pack!" the others responded.

In short order the Spartan team had assembled the weapons and ammo they needed and a Pelican pilot they'd been working with throughout the campaign had proactively volunteered her service to help. Mike was touched anew by the depth people were willing to go to help out. He'd lived alone and jaded for so long he'd lost hope in humanity. Now these things filled him with a hope he'd never had despite the seeming deadly nature of the mission.

"Sir!" Terrell called out to Mike as they were nearly loaded.

Mike looked and saw Colonel Toliver enter the hanger they were preparing in with eight MP's.

"I thought I'd find you here when you missed your evac," the armor officer stated with annoyance.

"Sir, I…," Mike began but was cut off.

"Stow it," Toliver shot back. "You have your orders just like I have mine. You need to stop this nonsense, all of you do," he declared to the rest of the Wolf Pack. "I need you to get on transport and leave with the rest of us."

"With all due respect sir, I can't do that," Mike countered humbly.

"Neither can we," Adam added as the others came to stand defiantly behind Mike.

"Did ye think you could go off on some cock-eyed scheme without saying goodbye, ye daft lad?" Gunny MacGregor added to the conversation, joining the confrontation with three other armed Wolverines.

"Gunny, I didn't want to drag you into this," Mike answered in exasperation.

"Well that's a fine how-do-you-do ain't it," the ODST NCO declared, "ye sweat and bleed beside the guy and he won't even let ye knew when he's breaking orders. Sir," he turned to Colonel Toliver, "I think ye should let the lad go. He's earned it."

"All of you, stand down!" Toliver ordered. The MPs with him tensed up causing a similar reaction from the Wolf Pack who moved to cover their leader. The experienced combat veteran breathed heavily and then shook his head, forlorn.

"Sir, please, I need to do this," Mike responded quietly but firmly

Toliver raised his hands in surrender. "You're right, gunny, he's earned this, orders or no." The army officer paused and shook his head anew. "All right, you win I can't force you to obey and I'm not going to try to force you. The lane to New Harmony will stay open as long as it stays open. We'll hold the spaceport as long as we have troops to evac. Once that's done, we're gone. There'll be no waiting," he then looked at the Wolf Pack, "for anyone. And if by some miracle you make it out, you better be damned sure this isn't the end of the conversation."

"Understood sir, and thank you, Mike replied, coming to attention and saluting the officer.

"Whatever. Get your ass moving Spartan, the clock's ticking," Toliver returned the salute and walked briskly away.

Mike watched the senior officer he'd know only for a couple of weeks walk away in wonder. Then he turned to the ODST gunnery sergeant. "I didn't mean to keep you out of the loop."

"He didn't tell us either," Adam interjected.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," MacGregor clucked in mock annoyance.

"I just didn't want….I didn't want you all to be drawn into my personal problem. I couldn't ask you to take such a reckless risk," Mike stammered, turmoil etching his chiseled face.

"You just don't get it, do you, sir?" Alissa declared with irritation. "We're a team, a family. What matters to you matters to us."

"Aye," MacGregor agreed.

"I never thought of it that way," Mike confessed, emotion thick in his voice. "I was wrong and I'm sorry."

"Like the man said, clocks ticking, sir. Go get your young lassie," MacGregor responded with a grin, though tears welled up in the eyes of the tough ODST, "me and the lads will hold the last transport as long as we can."

Mike nodded his head in resolve, deeply touched by the sacrifices others were willing to make for him. For too long he'd given up on humanity and now he realized just what mankind was capable of. He suddenly felt like he could take on the whole Covenant. "All right Wolf Pack, saddle up," he ordered.

Several hours later the Pelican flew low and fast-hugging the surface through the Mare Erythraeum region. The pilot had chosen a circuitous route to avoid concentrations of Covenant forces but still this low to the ground it was easy to see the results of the invaders devastating assault on the region. Regularly the passengers on the fast-flying transport could see wrecked and destroyed UNSC vehicles and bodies left to rot in fall sun.

"Bastards," Alissa was heard to growl more than once.

Mike's plan was fairly straightforward. The signal remained in Tricode Village and so he surmised the Covenant command had set up headquarters in the sprawling city. They would come in under the cover of darkness; rescue Natalia and whoever else lived then call for extraction just outside the city. Another part of the team would simultaneously take down the Covenant anti-air grid which should allow them to get away cleanly. The pilot had calculated their fuel states and figured they'd even have enough fuel to make it to New Harmony. That was, if they had a strong tail wind, she'd cheekily declared with a wink. The leader of the Wolf Pack was touched anew by the sacrifices the others were willing to make for him and pledged to not use anyone recklessly.

The Pelican touched down lightly just over ten kilometers from the village just as night was falling. Any closer and they risked being engaged or spotted by Covenant forces in the area. Mel knew the area well and had already picked a route that should give them the maximum cover of approach. The seasoned scout was confident the attackers would not be overly vigilant since their victory in the region had been complete. So with no fanfare the Wolf Pack headed into the growing dark of night on their seemingly impossible mission.

 **November 10, 2552, 1635 Hours Upstate New York, America, Planet**

 **Earth**

"Sir! Mr. Misriah!" MacKenzie Wainwright burst into the meeting Spanner Misriah was holding in the board room of his bunker.

"What is it?" he growled with irritation. "I told you not to disturb me." The billionaire industrialist had become increasingly concerned with some of the visits and enquiries he'd been receiving from the Commerce Department of the UNSC. Despite the battle for Earth escalating it seemed that government bureaucracy continued unchecked. So he'd been working out his response along with the senior team of his company.

"You need to see this," the young executive stated emphatically, pushing a datapad into the powerful man's hands.

With irritation Spanner took the device and gave it a casual look but then his eyes locked onto the screen and his face suddenly drained of all its color. "Oh my god," he whispered.

"What is it?" one of the senior VPs asked MacKenzie.

"It's Natalia," MacKenzie answered. "She's been listed as 'Killed in Action' on Mars."

"Oh dear," the heavyset businessman said in genuine shock. "Spanner, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Get out," Spanner answered, barely above a whisper.

"This is terrible, we're so sorry," the man got up from his supple leather chair to comfort the broken man.

"Leave me! I said get out!" Spanner screamed but before the panicked executives could flee the room Spanner Misriah erupted in howls of anguish.

Several hours later Spanner came out of the room. He was calm but his face was flushed from crying. "Get me Admiral Parangosky. I want confirmation of this," he ordered.

Rather than MacKenzie Wainwright it was his primary executive assistant, Nancy Crossway, who placed the call. The petite but fiery middle aged woman with short greying hair had been Spanner's principle EA for over eight years and had the reputation of not only being highly efficient but a bit of a bulldog who wouldn't take no for an answer. She got to work to make the connection.

Ten minutes later Nancy had been able to do what MacKenzie Wainwright hadn't for the past week- get someone to talk to Spanner Misriah from Bravo-Six. True, it was not Admiral Parangosky but it was the next best thing.

"Captain Osman," the protégé of the head of ONI's voice announced over the speaker in the head of Misriah Armory's luxurious bunker office.

"Osman, this is Spanner Misriah," the man announced, trying to put as much steel into his voice as he could muster.

"Yes sir, what can I do to help you?" Osman replied with a feigned note of interest.

"There've been reports coming out of Mars that the Covenant have begun to overrun the planet. My daughter was with the command party of a senior officer by the name of Ackerson there. Are you able to provide for me the status of this group and their current location?" Spanner got right to the point.

"We're very busy, as you can imagine, Mr. Misriah but I'll try to help you as a courtesy for all you've done for us in the past," the captain answered, this time not hiding the note of annoyance at the personal request.

"Thank you."

It didn't take long for a response.

"I'm sorry to inform you that the latest information we have is that Colonel Ackerson's command party of which you daughter was a part of was ambushed in a road move yesterday in the Mare Erythraeum region. There were no survivors reported. Please accept my condolences for your loss," Osman reported but rather than any concern the glee in her voice was evident which cut the man to the core.

"But…I," Spanner stammered out, voice beginning to break.

"We're quite busy," Osman cut him off, "so I will wish you a good day," and she severed the line.

"So how did dear Spanner take the news?" Margaret Parangosky asked, having listened to the whole conversation.

"Sadly, quite hard," Osman replied with a smirk.

"Poor dear, maybe I should send him some flowers, but then dear Natalia has had a habit of getting herself into trouble of late, so I suppose this is no great surprise. That does happen when you turn your back on your friends. Pity, she had such great potential," Parangosky said with feigned concern. "On a related but happier note, I think it's time for the UEG Department of Industry to receive that anonymous tip about irregular practices at Misriah Armory."

Spanner Misriah sat with his head in his hands, propped up on the desk. His mind continued to process the news his heart would not allow him to believe. Natalia was gone. Too late he realized where his true wealth lay. He'd played this thought out in his mind a thousand times the last month but pride or inertia had kept him from doing something about it. The thought was a curiosity for the driven billionaire since he'd never been kept from doing anything before. But then this was a matter of the heart and not business. He'd tried to make everything a math equation, including his relationship with his daughter and now it was too late. The finality of it was like a knife straight to the stomach. Regret welled up within like bile and the man thought he'd be sick.

It took Spanner Misriah nearly a minute to realize there was an alert chime ringing constantly, letting him know his assistant was buzzing him.

"I told you not to disturb me!" he yelled back into the comms.

"I know, sir, and you know that I wouldn't unless it's urgent," Crossway replied calmly, absorbing the storm.

"Then what is it?"

"I just found out that the Department of Industry is about to conduct a raid on our headquarters in New York."

"What?" he shot back, suddenly laser focused.

"Apparently they're launching an investigation into our production practices and output the past three months."

Spanner's heart froze.

They'd found out about his unauthorized production shift and despite his broken heart he knew what he had to do. "Very well, ready my plane. We're heading to New York."

 **November 10, 2552, 1920 Hours, Tricode Village, Mare Erythraeum, planet Mars**

Natalia blinked hard, not due to the low light in the room she found herself in but from the stars that swarmed in her head. Her right temple throbbed and a recollection came back of the dark-furred Brute that had slammed her head against the table at the opposite end of the room. She was alone though she could hear the groans of others not far away. Slowly the quick-thinking woman's memory began to return. She'd been in the command convoy and it had been attacked by the Covenant. Most had been killed outright, several before her eyes, but a large group of officers had been spared and brought back to the town they'd left for interrogation. Her initial interview had gone okay until she'd failed to divulge information about intelligence activities in the area which had resulted in her head being slammed savagely into the table. How long had she been out? Natalia couldn't figure it out or why she'd been kept alive.

The sound of a man close by screaming for mercy broke Natalia's thoughts. She couldn't figure out who it was but could tell what was happening. As the man was being beaten further he began to cry out but to no avail. There was then a crescendo of blows followed by a roar of triumph from the Brutes who'd been with him.

Then everything fell silent.

"Mike, help me, please," the proud woman cried out as she began to weep uncontrollably. "Oh, what am I going to do?" she lamented, realizing she was alone and totally helpless. Broken, she curled up into a ball and sobbed.


	40. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39**

 **November 11, 2552, 0225 Hours, Mare Erythraeum region, planet Mars**

Thus far things had gone well for the Wolf Pack. Under Melanie's lead they'd moved to within two kilometres of the town but something didn't seem to be right. While Mike was no scout he'd been on enough stealth missions to know this situation was more fluid than expected. Plus Mel was more tense than usual. Twice already they'd had to adjust their route and once they'd had to hold in a sheltered position for twenty minutes while large Covenant forces moved through them. It seemed as if the alien invaders would not consolidate their hold in Mare Erythraeum but instead were preparing for another move. Even if they'd thought they could take the Covenant parties they'd spotted Mike didn't want to engage anyone at this point and risk raising an alarm in the region. So instead they'd waited and adjusted all the time watching more time tick off the clock. While all were committed to the mission none were foolish enough to seek to be stuck on the planet when the last human transport left.

"Hold!" Melanie called out tensely over the comms and the rest of the team automatically fanned out into a defensive position.

"What's up?" Mike asked, keeping his voice calm but inside concerned by how far they were getting off their time plan.

They were close enough now that the glow of the town pointed to its location but of greater interest was the fact all their IFF's had lit up with red splotches rather than pin pricks showing a sizeable Covenant force within their sensor range.

"Something doesn't feel right," the intuitive woman answered. Mel had been working alone for long enough to trust her instincts to keep her alive. While she'd been happy to connect to Mike and work with the teens of the Wolf Pack she was beginning to feel the pressure of being part of a team with responsibility.

"I know we've got a large force to our front and that messes with our axis of advance but can't we just adjust like we've done before?" Mike countered.

 _Yea, clocks ticking, I know that Wolf_ , Melanie thought to herself _. Wouldn't want to finally roll in and find your pretty girlfriend's head mounted on a spike in the city square_ , she added a bit resentfully. Her decision to join the seemingly futile mission had been uncharacteristically spontaneous and driven by the depths of feelings she had for her former teammate. But she also thought somewhat bitterly she'd arrogantly thought they could just walk in, rescue her, and walk out. She'd forgotten to respect her enemy and now hoped it wouldn't turn out to be fatal.

"Well?" Mike pressed, still waiting for an answer.

"Wait one," Mel snapped back. "I'm thinking." She focused on the movements of the blips in her HUD. "Hold here, I'm going to scout ahead a bit."

"Copy that," Mike replied, his voice tense but at least he held his thoughts.

Melanie blended into the inky darkness of night. He recon armour perfectly masked her and she knew there was no heat signature so she would be invisible. They'd yet to come across any Elites who would have had similar trackers to the humans but no chance taking a risk. Something in the way the Covenant forces were moving in the area they wanted to move through wasn't sitting right with her. It was too uniform for creatures that tended to travel in undisciplined patterns.

Drawing closer to the first concentrated body of enemies she spotted it. A series of ground sensors set up in a picket line about 1000 meters from the edge of the town was the first thing she'd picked up. But that wasn't the worst of it. The area had been mined.

The recon Spartan spotted a Brute landmine and then others scattered until they were lost in the dark. While little had been done to try to hide them there did seem to be lots to their front. She took a minute to watch the Covenant troops that she could see and also study her own motion tracker. It appeared as if there were a couple of narrow lanes through the minefield that was backed up by a sensor array. Those free lanes were thick with Brutes and others coming and going ensuring movement through them would be impossible without detection.

Making her way swiftly back Melanie gave her report. "We've got a minefield to our front backed up with ground sensors."

"Shit," Matt breathed out over the comms.

"Can't we just breach our way through it," Mike countered.

"Yea, we've learned a bit about mine clearing," Adam added, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"In the dark it would be pretty tough," Mel answered, trying to be patient. "Our sensors don't pick them up so it has to be totally visual. If we miss even one the air burst when that thing pops would likely debilitate all of us but you Mike, plus it would trigger an alert. We'd have the whole city down on us in minutes."

Mike breathed in heavily which all could hear. "All right, so what do you recommend?"

"We skirt around it until we find the end or at least a break in the line we can exploit," Melanie answered.

"But what if this thing goes all the way around the city?" Adam broke in, voice hesitant.

"Unlikely," Melanie answered, trying to sound confident. "More likely it's a flank area the Brutes are trying to bolster. They're too aggressive to spend the time on this kind of passive defence."

"How much time is this going to take?" Mike asked, tension thick in his voice.

"I don't know," Mel answered honestly, "until we find a break in the line or a gap big enough we can exploit.

Mike swore to himself, anger growing to a level he was finding hard to control. He was watching the time tick away and calculating the cost of this latest setback wondering if he'd ever find Natalia in the end. Guilt welled up like bile for bringing Mel and his team on this 'fool's mission'.

 **0310 Hours, Tricode Village, Mare Erythraeum, planet Mars**

Lepidus watched the holo of Castor trying hard to maintain an air of power with great satisfaction. The rival Shipmaster had botched up his attack on the region of the human planet he'd been given while Lepidus' had gone brilliantly. True, the human defenders had been more numerous, better led and supplied than those in his region but who wanted to quibble about such details? Their victory was now complete and reports were coming in that the humans were fleeing the planet.

And now the two Brute Chieftains were facing off in a power struggle for post-invasion leadership supremacy. In truth it was no contest since Lepidus now had the favour of the Prophet of Truth rather than the other.

"Why have you kept some of the vermin alive, Lepidus?" Castor declared imperiously in reference to the human prisoners the Brute leader held for interrogation. "They are a stain on this holy land."

"You may be right, Shipmaster, but they still may provide us with valuable information," Lepidus replied with feigned deference.

"What could they possibly give us of value?" Castor asked suspiciously.

Lepidus swore under his breath at his sharp-thinking rival. "Likely little of value," he countered quickly, "perhaps insights into their technology. At the very least it provides some entertainment for my pack."

"Waste of time," Castor huffed, his thick beard shaking with agitation but knowing he no longer held any power over the Jiralhanae chieftain. "But if you find amusement in such things that's your choice but I will be searching for sacred relics that will help me move closer on the Great Journey."

Castor's image faded away as he ended the transmission without any further discussion or acknowledge.

"Have fun, fool," Lepidus snorted then turned to his second-in-command. "Has the human commander regained consciousness yet?"

"Yes, just coming out of it after our last 'discussion'", Mygaeum answered with a wicked grin.

"Good. I'm interested in finding out more about this powerful artefact he mentioned. Let's go have another talk."

James Ackerson came slowly out of the fog he was in. His jaw ached and he gingerly rubbed it, figuring it was likely broken. His one eye could only open part way since it was too swollen. The beating had been one thing, he could handle that, but it was being forced to watch several members of his staff be torn limb-from-limb that was the hardest to take. The experienced combat officer had experienced brutality before but this was on another level. Ackerson knew he was going to die. That thought didn't bother him. He knew it should have happened many times before and as he reflected on his life knew it was deserved. The Army officer also knew that now Mars had fallen the full weight of Covenant efforts would be turned to Earth as four Brutes entered the room. The largest of the group was brown with fiery red eyes that the colonel recognized as the Jiralhanae's commander so the colonel knew the information he'd salted into his last interrogation had gotten the attention of the ambitious Shipmaster. Ackerson mused as they prepared to speak to him that his time interacting with ONI had not been a total waste of time after all.

"What is this of a powerful artefact you talk about, worm?" Lepidus demanded without fanfare through an interpreter. The aggressive Brute raised his hand in emphasis as if to strike Ackerson.

"Please, no more," the crafty colonel pleaded truly not wanting another beating but also doing it to draw the commander further in.

"Then speak and perhaps we may have no more need to talk to you," Lepidus rumbled with a sly grin.

Ackerson sighed heavily. "All right. It's called the Key of Osanalan and it's necessary to fire a Halo. Without it the array won't properly activate."

"Halo?" Lepidus asked in confusion.

"That's what we call your sacred rings," Ackerson replied in exasperation.

"And how do you know about this, vermin?" Lepidus pressed in.

"I worked with our Office of Naval Intelligence for a time. They've been studying this since the rings were first discovered. We've had the key for years but didn't know what it did. Now we do."

"And where is this key to be found?"

"In a city called Cleveland in the country of the United States," Ackerson confessed.

"And the girl, what does she know of this?" Lepidus pressed.

"What girl?"

"The one from ONI," the cunning Brute countered, pleased with himself by the surprise the use of the human acronym generated.

"Nothing. That was above her rank and level," Ackerson recovered from his shock still trying to protect Natalia.

"We must prepare to return immediately to the _Triumphant Declaration_ and then inform the High Prophet of Truth about this development," Lepidus declared in his native tongue to those in the room, done with the human. "We move to Earth to claim this powerful prize before others stumble upon it."

"And what of the prisoners?" Mygaeum asked.

"Kill them all, they're of no use to us," Lepidus stated, bringing smiles to the others, "but bring this one along. He still may be helpful."

Colonel Ackerson was dragged by the back of his tunic out of the room he'd been questioned in into another that held a number of the UNSC captives. Already the screams of the humans being tortured to death filled the room. The senior officer was pulled through the scene of death as he tried to resist.

`Wait, you need them, ` he called out, `they have valuable information as well, ` he tried futilely to stop the killing but none of the Jiralhanae listened. `Bring them along! ` He screamed in pain and outrage, tears filling his eyes at the scene.

Natalia could hear the shrieks from the next room and her heart began to race in panic. Then she heard Colonel Ackerson call out as he was dragged through the room so cried, "Colonel! It's me, Natalia! Help me, please!"

But either he didn't hear her or couldn't speak since no reply came.

The sounds of death next door continued on for several more minutes but for Natalia Misriah it felt like hours. Instinctively the discerning woman knew this was the end. For some reason the prisoners were now being killed and she'd be next. It seemed as her position in ONI had kept her alive this long but no more.

Thoughts of her father and mother then her life began to flood in to Natalia. The last couple of years pushed the happier ones of her childhood out and the ugliness of what she'd become and how she'd used people were repulsive but Natalia had no capacity to push them out, the terror of what was going on taking the rest of her capacity. But then, like a shining light in the darkness thoughts of Mike began to press in. The anguished woman could feel his arms around her, see his smile and knew that he'd helped her return to who she was not who she'd become. The proud billionaire's daughter didn't want to die but if she were she was glad she'd not only met the quiet Spartan but allowed herself to fall for him. Yet thoughts of what could have been between them and those of the time they'd wasted in misunderstanding crashed into the growing peace. Natalia began to sob uncontrollably not only because a door from the other room opened and four shaggy Brutes walked but more because of the loss of what could have been.

The Jiralhanae, human gore flecking their armour, grinned at the sight of the broken woman, not really understanding the reason for her evident terror so stopped to enjoy the show. Then as if a sense of urgency took them from their pleasure they continued to advance.

"Please, no!" Natalia cried out, raising her bound hands for mercy but knowing there would be none. Then the sound of a heavy _thud_ outside the other door to the room on the opposite side caused all to turn and look in wonder.

The door flew open and a large Spartan III in battered grey-black Mjolnir armour burst in with a suppressed M6C Magnum. Two shots hissed out from the pistol and the rounds slammed into the forehead of the lead Brute causing its head to snap back. The Spartan then deftly shifted the levelled Magnum while still moving into the room to double tap another. Filling the doorway was another Spartan with a suppressed M7S Submachine gun who let rip a three round burst of caseless rounds into one and then another burst into the fourth and in a matter of seconds all four Brutes were down.

"Maia, check the opposite room, Matt, cover," Mike ordered through the comms and then he saw Natalia. The woman was face down on a table and not moving. His world came crashing down and he almost collapsed with the fear that they were too late but then she stirred. Her eyes came alive with wonder and then recognition.

Mike ripped his helmet off and knelt down beside her. "Tali! Are you okay?"

Natalia in turn lost control and began to cry uncontrollably.

Mistaking the woman's relief for pain Mike became nearly frantic. "Are you hurt? Are you wounded?" He began to feel around for any wounds.

"Mike, it's you!" Natalie choked out between sobs. "You came for me, you really came!" She was able to control her crying then added to assure the man whose concern was evident. "I'm fine now, really."

The man who'd cared for so little for so many years and now cared deeply felt his eyes begin to fill with tears of relief. He spontaneously gave her an awkward hug, his armour getting in the way. But both embraced the intent and held the hug for a moment.

"Hate to break up the party," Melanie entered the room and gave the pair a hard look, "but the clocks ticking. We need to get this show on the road."

"You're right," Mike confirmed, snapping back into reality. He slammed his helmet back on and switched his comms to voice mode so Natalia could hear what he was saying as well as the team. "Our tracker signals gone weird for other UNSC personnel. Do you know where they might be?"

"They're dead," Natalia said woodenly, the elation of the moment lost in the macabre scene she'd heard.

Matt signalled to the Lone Wolf who went and took a quick look in the room next door. The sheer brutality of the scene angered the man but he knew he had to hold it together. Returning quickly he asked Natalia, "What about Colonel Ackerson? Do you know anything about him?"

"I think they took him somewhere," Natalia answered but not entirely confident. "I'm not sure. I was here alone for the longest time."

She began to shudder as memories flooded in. Mike wanted nothing more than to hold the fragile woman and make all her fears go away but also knew they were still in mortal danger and had a job to do. "Maia," he called out to the teen who had their tracking program. "Run a trace on Colonel Ackerson."

It took her only a moment.

"Negative sir, nothing in proximity," Maia confirmed.

"Any other human readings?" Mike asked, thinking of the bodies he'd seen in the next room.

"Negative as well," the usually reserved Spartan answered but this time there was a twinge of anger in her voice.

"Break, break," Alissa cut in. "We saw a human officer that looked like Ackerson being hustled into a Phantom a few minutes ago. It took off."

"Copy that," Mike acknowledged, slamming his fist onto a table at how close they'd been. "All right then, we fall back to extraction point," Mike ordered, emotions mixed. While he was elated to have saved Natalia it was punctured by the regret of not being able to save any others. "Matt, Adam, you're on point. Maia, Mel, you bring up the rear. I'll shield the package. Team Two," he called out to Terrell and Alissa who were standing by at another part of the town, "prepare to take down the Covvie's air defence grid."

"Copy that," Alissa acknowledged, "in position and waiting for your order."

The humans moved swift and silent through the corridors of the building retracing their steps. Natalia looked wide-eyed at the dead Covenant they passed along the way, marvelling at what the team had done, relieved to have been rescued but simultaneously feeling a growing guilt that she was the only one left alive.

"Mike, did you just come for me?" Natalia blurted out. "How did you find me?" she asked, the tension of the moment and relief of being rescued bubbling over.

"Not now," Mike answered tensely. "When we're away from here I'll explain everything."

"Hold one, I'm at the door," Adam informed those trailing who stopped immediately and took defensive position.

Adam had been disappointed they'd only been able to save the woman but still was happy for Mike. The look of joy on the face of the Lone Wolf when he found out she was okay was priceless to the thoughtful teen. He'd never questioned going along but as the mission had dragged on began to question the wisdom of it. For all of them to risk not only death on the mission but also the chance of being left behind on the planet, it just didn't seem logical to the thoughtful teen. Yet what was logical? Becoming a Spartan? Fighting an impossible fight against a seemingly unstoppable foe? None of those things made sense. Mike felt the need to do this and all of them had asked to come. Adam reminded himself Mike had wanted to go it alone and they'd insisted on coming. Why? Alissa had answered that question- they were family and family stuck together. So here they were.

Carefully opening the exterior door Adam was shocked out of his musings and back to reality by what he saw. Despite the late hour the previously sleeping town was now alive with Covenant who seemed to be preparing for something.

"What do you see, Adam?" Mike asked tensely, very aware of how far off his timeline they already were.

"We've got major movement, the towns swarming with Covvies," Adam reported, pulling the door closed to only a crack.

Mike swore to himself. This mission just wasn't going as he'd wanted, though he had to remind himself he'd found Natalia. "Everyone hold. I'm coming up to take a look. Melanie, you too."

The pair joined Adam at the door and discovered what the 2ic had seen; there was no way they were going to sneak out of the town.

"What do you think?" Mike asked, looking at Melanie.

"I think it's not going to be too long before someone comes to check out this building," the recon Spartan answered. "We've got to move."

"Okay, so what are our options" Mike answered with determination.

"Hold here for a couple of minutes," Mel replied, her quick mind formulating a plan. She looked back at Natalia and wanted to say _hope she's worth it_ but already knew the answer. "I'll do a quick recce of the building and see if there's a better way out."

As Melanie moved through the rest of the team she gave more than a lingering glance at Natalia which Mike could figure out. He grimaced inside his helmet at the implication. He too wondered if what he'd done was foolish and impetuous. To put the team in this kind of danger seemed reckless. Yes, they'd volunteered, no one had forced them but he knew that didn't fly. He was their leader so they were not about to abandon him. Yet he knew he had to do this and his love for the Wolf Pack and by extension Mel only grew as a result. There were consequences to choice and he finally was in the position to make some.

"I think I've got something," Mel interrupted Mike's reflection.

"What's the delay?" Alissa cut in. "This place is starting to crawl. We got to get out of here."

"Copy that, we're jammed here," Mike answered. "Looking for an alternative extraction."

"Don't wait too long," the team's sniper shot back, "or we won't have a shot at their comms array."

"Roger, understood," Mike answered, feeling his heartbeat increasing. "What have you got Mel?'

"Might be a way out," she answered. "I'm at the northeast corner of the building. Setting a waypoint."

The blip popped up and the rest of the team moved swiftly to join the recon Spartan. Melanie was crouched beside a series of low windows in what appeared to be some sort of meeting room in the building. Even with the lights out it was hard to see what it looked onto which was a good sign there were no lights in the proximity.

"Seems to open onto some kind of park," Melanie answered the unstated question. "Turn on your night vision and you'll see there's a potential lane. I see movement only on the periphery and this gives us a shot based on the map out of the town. Terrell and Alissa are on the opposite side of this building now so when they blow the sensor array that may give us the distraction we need to beat feet out of here."

"What about them?" Mike asked, knowing this was likely their only shot. "How can we support them if needed?"

"We can't," Melanie answered with no emotion in her voice. "They'll be on their own. It's the only way out. What's your call?"

Mike knew he didn't have the luxury of time for pondering and trusted Melanie's professional assessment. "Terrell, Alissa, you hear that last, over?"

"Copy that," Terrell confirmed.

"We're good to go," Alissa added.

Mike felt his heart being squeezed by the selfless act. "Okay, we go. Blow the array and we move. See you at the extraction," he added trying to sound optimistic.

"What's going on?" Natalia asked, concern etching her expressive face since she only caught Mike's part of the conversation. "What's happening with the others?"

"We're getting out of here, that's all that matters." Mike took the Magnum out of its holster, popped in a fresh mag and handed it to her.

"But what about the others?" she pressed, fearing the answer.

An explosion in the distance caused the windows in the building to shake.

"Let's go!" Melanie called out.

All right, let's move," Mike ordered avoiding Natalia's question.

The human party slipped out of the window and began to move into the night. The sounds of shouting Brutes and panicked Grunts filled the night air as a secondary explosion went off. Added to the din was the sound of small arms fire rising in crescendo which caused the human's hearts to sink.

Then coming from the side of the park moving towards the sound of battle a mixed party of Jackals and Grunts almost literally ran into the group as they tried to stay in the shadows. Matt and Adam opened fire with their suppressed weapons, taking down several while a number of the Grunts ran away into the darkness in panic. Maia dropped a Jackal with a short burst coming behind it as it snapped its energy shield open.

It seemed as if the Spartans had suppressed the group of Covenant until the _chug chug chug_ sound of a Needler opening up showed there were still attackers about. Adam grunted and fell to the ground as a crystalline shard from a Needler punched through his SPI armour and erupted. Two short bursts from Melanie's Battle Rifle dropped the pair of Jackals who'd joined the fight.

Mike rushed over to Adam who was down and clutching his side. The Lone Wolf grabbed a can of Biofoam to try to seal the wound and stabilize Adam who tried his best not to cry out.

"How bad is he?" Melanie asked, after being sure there were no more attackers in their immediate area.

"Abdominal wound, it's pretty bad," Mike stated as Adam began to groan.

"We got to get out of here," Melanie stated urgently. "That fights going to attract a crowd."

"I'll take Adam," Matt volunteered, kneeling down beside the three as Maia stood watch.

"Wolf 4, Wolf 5, sitrep, over," Mike called out instead.

"Air defence array is down," Alissa reported, "but we're cut off."

The sound of heavy small arms fire punctuated the declaration.

"We've fallen back to a good defensive position but have no lane out," the sniper added.

"Mike, we got to go!" Melanie urgently cut in, grabbing his arm for emphasis.

The Lone Wolf paused for only a second but it felt as if his life had changed as the sound of battle intensified.

"Get them out of here Mel and back to New Harmony," Mike ordered, knowing what he had to do.

"What about you?"

"I'm going to go and get Terrell and Alissa," Mike declared.

"What?" Natalia cut in, voice inflecting.

"Then we all go," Melanie insisted.

"You can't. Adam's down and none of us but me is armoured for this. You wouldn't make it halfway there. I can," Mike affirmed logically.

"But…"

"That's an order," Mike barked but then softened. "I have to do this."

"All right, let's get out of here," Melanie stated, patting him on the back as she stood up. "I'll make sure she makes it out."

"Tali, you've got to go," Mike insisted, seeing her not moving.

"Mike, I can't. I can't do this. I can't abandon you again." The proud woman began to cry and grabbed a hold of him. "I can't lose you, not like this."

"You won't lose me because I'll always be in your heart," Mike answered, trying to sound in control but his heart breaking, pulling her arms away. Maia, take her."

The Spartan grabbed the woman who fought her but couldn't match strength.

"Mike, please," Natalia pleaded.

"I love you," he said in reply.

The woman he loved, the one who'd shown him there was more to life than killing and that he was not a machine but a man disappeared crying into the darkness of night.

And again Mike Nantz was alone.

But he wasn't alone. He had two members of his team, his family, who were in need and he wasn't about to leave them to die alone. A phrase from an ancient book written over 2,500 years earlier suddenly came to mind: 'Greater love has no one than this, that he would lay down his life for a friend.'

Slapping a fresh mag into his Assault Rifle Mike removed the suppressor to increase the weapon's accuracy and called out, "Alissa, Terrell, hang in there, I'm on my way."


	41. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40**

 **November 11, 2552, 0335 Hours, Tricode Village, Mare Erythraeum region, planet Mars**

"Alissa, you got anything?" Terrell yelled despite being on comms and firing another burst from his GPMG cutting down a Brute and three Jackals trying to press in.

"No, I got nothing," the sniper replied tensely firing off a round that slammed into the forehead of a Brute who'd been aiming a Spiker at them. She panned her scope again around her field of vision knowing the outcome would be the same. They were completely cut off.

"I guess that's it then," the African American Spartan declared with resignation while laying down a field of fire that scattered a group of Grunts trying to form up for an assault, "this is it."

"It looks like it," the usually fiery teen replied peacefully.

"Hey, Alissa."

"What?"

"If it's my time I'm glad I'm here with you."

Alissa felt her heart gripped by the comment and knew what he meant. The anger that had fuelled her for so many years and drove her to become a Spartan had been replaced by something far more powerful- a love for her teammates.

"Hey, me too, Terrell," she answered with a serenity she'd never experienced before. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

An unexpected explosion punctured the bubble of their resignation. Coming out of the darkness like an armoured juggernaut Mike threw grenades and walked Assault Rifle fire cutting a path like a scythe through wheat to work his way towards the beleaguered Spartans position. Terrell and Alissa had to do a double take to ensure their eyes weren't deceiving them. Their team leader had come for them

"Come on, we're getting out of here," Mike called out as he came onto their position. He pivoted to the right to lay a sustained burst of armor-piercing rounds into a Brute trying to press in.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Alissa asked incredulously.

"Yea, what about the others?" Terrell added, joining Mike's fire.

"They're well on their way and out of the kill zone," the Lone Wolf answered

"But you came back for us," Alissa stated emphatically, frozen by the unexpected development. "You were free and clear."

"I don't leave anyone behind when I have a say in it," Mike countered, slapping in a fresh mag then tossing a grenade to scatter a group of Skirmishers forming up.

"Then let's get out of here!" Terrell broke in, needing no other encouragement.

Mike had done a quick assessment of the Covenant positions on his way to the beleaguered Spartans and even as he'd spoken to them continued to assess their options. While the position the trio held was strong and defensible it was ultimately a death trap as Covenant forces began to concentrate. They needed to move right away. The seasoned combat veteran found a seam that would allow them to break out.

"We stay tight. Alissa, on my butt and look for targets of opportunity. Terrell, cover our rear and take out anything we miss," Mike ordered. "We're going to punch out and move fast."

"Wolf Pack!" the two teens responded with determination.

"Let's go!" Mike yelled the adrenaline coursing.

The trio shot out of their defensive position like an arrow catching the Covenant forces circling them off guard. With Mike leading the way and his Mjolnir armor blocking any return fire they were able to break out on the run with no harm. Once out of the tightening ring the humans became the aggressors running and gunning through the streets of the town. A squad of Grunts pushing into the battle were scattered as the armoured Spartans surged right through them, a purple-blue armoured Brute captain's command was caught in its throat mid-roar as a 114mm round from Alissa's sniper rifle slammed his mouth shut. She then nimbly switched to her Magnum pistol and three shots barked out at a Jackal who'd come out from between two buildings sending it tumbling.

Despite running and firing from the hip Terrell walked fire up and down their line of advance keeping any other foes on their heels. Mike threw two grenades at a pair of Brutes charging in while deftly shifting his fire to the balcony of a building to their side shredding a Jackal who'd fired a Beam Rifle at him. Though the ionized particle slammed into the Spartan's chest plate his shielding held up.

The trio of Spartans had broken the cordon and moved out of the main concentration of Covenant forces in the center of the town.

"This way," Mike ordered as they ran towards the edge of Tricode Village.

Rounding the corner first Mike was slammed by three rounds in succession of superheated plasma dropping his shield in half.

"Plasma cannon!" he yelled as the _pom pom pom_ of the direct-energy support weapon made the call redundant.

The others flattened against a building and Terrell covered their rear as a group of Jackals fanned out to begin to snipe at them. The sound of roaring Brutes on the periphery revealed the Jiralhanae were now organizing a concerted effort to envelope the humans seeking to escape.

Mike peaked around the corner and the cannon opened up again sending colourful bolts of plasma screaming past him. Adding to the din were two fragmentation grenades that landed nearby from a Brute Shot. The Lone Wolf had also caught the fact that not only was there the Plasma Cannon blocking their way but also at least a half dozen Brutes in good defensive position.

"This ways blocked!" Mike called out. "We need another exit."

"Where we've come from is all filled up," Terrell answered, letting loose a burst from his GPMG to scatter a group of Grunts being set up to charge.

"What now?" Alissa asked, growing anxiety evident in her voice. "The Brutes seem to be starting to pen us in."

"I don't know," Mike confessed. Checking his HUD anew he saw nothing but thickening red splotches encircling them. "I'm sorry I dragged you guys into this."

"Whatever," Alissa retorted. "No one drags me anywhere. I'm here because I wanted to be."

"Roger that," Terrell confirmed.

Now's as good as any time to die," the feisty female declared, switching from her Magnum back to the Sniper Rifle.

"We're not done yet," Mike declared emptying the remainder of a mag into the head of a Brute who'd tried to charge out from between two buildings opposite their position. Slapping in a fresh mag he added, "But if it's out time let's make it count."

"Wolf Pack!" the other two shouted in unison.

An explosion where the Plasma Cannon was caused a pause in the action. Mike looked to where they'd been blocked to see a Pelican fly low through the cloud of smoke to launch another HE Anvil-II Air-to-Surface missile at a Wraith that had been brought up to their rear to support the Covenant's attack on the Spartans.

The Pelican flared to land but then deftly turned 90 degrees as a pair of Banshee Ground Support Aircraft swooped in to attack the dropship. Its M370 Autocannon erupted in an orange fireball as armor-piercing rounds lit up the night sky shredding the first Banshee that had come in aggressively. The second attacker rolled away from the fire but the Pelican's pilot expertly walked the fire of its chin gun over until it connected with the Covenant fighter trying to reset to attack. It erupted as the flurry of rounds connected with the ship's plasma core causing it to explode in a spectacular colored ball of flame.

Wasting no time the Pelican pilot nimbly dropped down as its rear ramp simultaneously opened. The trapped Spartans needed no invitation.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Mike yelled as he pushed Alissa and then Terrell past him towards the Dropship. He covered the rear, blocking a dozen Needler rounds and plasma bolts before falling back himself.

Too late the Brutes tried to adjust their tightening noose. By the time they were able to bring their force to bear the Pelican was in the air and knifing into the darkness of night. Those that exposed themselves were cut down by a barrage of fire from Matt firing the heavy machine gun from the bay door.

And just like that, the humans were free of the city and flying free towards New Harmony.

"This is Kilo 3-20 to New Harmony Spaceport Control," the Pelican pilot called out on an open channel, "we are enroute, request hold of transport for our arrival."

There was no response and the pilot wondered if there was anyone left on the other end of the line. Still, they'd accomplished their task and nothing could be done until they reached the last port open to the UNSC.

Mike returned to the troop bay and could see Melanie working on Adam to keep him stabilized, but from the appearance of things he looked like he'd make it. Natalia was assisting her which gave the Spartan a warm feeling he couldn't quite explain. Though they couldn't talk right away he knew they would. He looked instead as Matt greeted Terrell and Alissa warmly and they returned the gesture, all of them exchanging hugs as he returned from the ramp machine gun now that it was closed. Maia came over to sit beside the burly assaulter and Mike reminded himself he'd have to talk to them about what was going on.

But not today.

Instead Mike sat back and looked appreciatively at what was before him, reflecting back on the idea of legacies. Though the outcome on Mars seemed the same as Reach and he thought about Noble Team, it felt different. Despite the fact it seemed like they might not get off planet somehow that didn't bother him or even cause any anxiety. They were all together, even if they didn't make a transport and were stuck; he believed they'd figure something out. He removed his helmet and gulped in the stale air in the transport but it was invigorating to him as Natalia looked over and allowed her gaze to rest upon him, unapologetic and constant. He held the stare and the two smiled knowingly at each other.

Yes, in the end, as long as he was together with Natalia and his team they'd be okay

The sun was high in the sky by the time the Pelican flew towards the outskirts of New Harmony. Mike went from the troop bay up to the cockpit to take in the sight. He could hardly believe that he'd last been in the metropolis only two months earlier. It felt like a lifetime. But then so much had gone on during that time. He'd been reunited with Natalia, he'd picked, then formed, a new team which he'd ultimately took into combat, had discovered Melanie was alive, and all of them were in the back of the transport winging likely to a frustrating conclusion. He thought back a few months before to his last stand on Reach. All of Noble Team was dead and he'd sung his death song facing overwhelming odds, ready to die. Then Jun had swooped in to rescue him and the fatalism of his circumstance was put on hold.

Much had changed.

Mike didn't want to die; he very much wanted to live. He wanted to explore what love truly meant with Natalia, he wanted to grow in his relationship with the Wolf Pack and Melanie.

Yet that was likely to be denied him and they would all die on Mars, a testimony to his selfish folly at taking his team to rescue Natalia. Still, Mike reminded himself, it wasn't folly, it was something he had to do. He'd made a pledge and it was within his control. He would die, as everyone does eventually, and for Mike Nantz he wanted to do it with a measure of control for the longest time he'd thought didn't exist as a Spartan. He was a man and not a machine, with feelings and choices, able to forge his destiny.

And he wasn't alone.

"What do you think?" Mike asked the pilot as they swooped over the abandoned city.

"We'll know in a couple of minutes," the pilot responded, not taking her eyes off of the space elevator that defined the city's port, "but it doesn't lot good. We're way past our deadline and there's no comms or traffic on the ground or air."

"Sorry," was all Mike could say, embarrassed by the frank assessment.

"Don't be," the pilot replied quickly. "I wanted to come. It was a good shot. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you got your lady out."

"Thanks, that means a lot," Mike said with emotion in his voice.

The pilot said nothing but nodded her head in agreement, face masked behind the helmet's visor that was down.

Mike smiled and felt a warmth come over him anew despite the seeming bleakness of the situation. Again, someone had gone above and beyond for him. He was glad he was in community with his fellow warriors and had a sense of 'family'. While he lamented now all the years as the 'Lone Wolf' he was glad at least in the end he'd been able to experience family.

And suddenly it looked like it was going to last a little while longer.

Coming into view of the New Harmony Spaceport Mike's heart leapt at the sight of a lone transport still on the dock and a group of armor clad ODSTs ringing it. Steam was coming out of the thrusters showing it was spooling up to leave but it was still there. Despite being overdue by nearly three hours they were still there.

"Guys," Mike called over the comms, "there's still a ship in dock. We're going to get out of here!"

The whoop from the back heard despite the roar of the Pelican's engine as it flared to land told him the message had been received loud and clear.

Minutes later the passengers of the dropship moved towards the transport whose engines were coming to life to take off. Waiting for them was Gunny MacGregor and several of the Wolverines.

"You're late," the ODST NCO deadpanned.

Yea, sorry Gunny," Mike answered, avoiding eye contact, touched anew by what had happened.

"Better late than never lad," MacGregor declared reaching out to shake his hand. Then seeing Natalia who had tears in her eyes and a smile that lit up the pad added, "Good to see you again lass."

Natalia was overcome by the moment as the reality sunk in. She went to the grizzled combat veteran and gave him a crushing hug. "Thank you!"

"All right then me lass," MacGregor responded to the gesture in embarrassment. "On the transport with ye." Then turning to Mike added, "We had to threaten to shoot the pilot," he said with a shrug, "but after your pilot radioed you were on your way, it wasn't such a bad wait, was it lads?"

"Aye Aye," the other ODSTs from the Wolverines responded genuinely.

"Thanks Gunny," was all Mike could get out, fearing he'd lose control of his emotions, overwhelmed anew by the scene.

"Ach," MacGregor spat back, embarrassed by his own emotions. "Let's get off this rock."

The transport ship with a frigate as escort broke out of orbit with no trouble. The Covenant had no cordon of any organized sort, seeming to have shifted interest elsewhere and so the passengers could relax for the time being on their return trip to Earth.

Adam was in the ship's infirmary and the doctor had declared he'd be okay given time which allowed the rest of the team to relax.

"Out of the frying pan, into the fire," Matt said to no one in particular as the team relaxed in a common area.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Alissa shot back.

"We're heading to Earth but there's a fight going on there just as bad as this one," the burly teen stated but without aggression," maybe even worse," he added with a shrug.

"Yea, but Earth's different, we can win that one," Terrell interjected optimistically.

"You want to believe that, go ahead," Matt shot back but without any malice.

"It doesn't matter," Alissa declared.

"Why doesn't it matter?" Maia asked genuinely, sitting beside Matt, their bodies touching.

"Because we're together and if we're together then whatever happens doesn't matter," the team's sniper said emphatically. She'd been on her Smoothers throughout this mission and no longer felt they were a cage but rather a release so she could be who she was beginning to see who she truly was. The aggression was still there, that was natural to her personality, but the anger was gone, replaced with a new resolve that burned hotter than her anger ever had.

Matt snorted but said," You're right." He looked over at Maia and added, "as long as we're together, it doesn't matter. We take it one day at a time, because we're family."

"We're family," Alissa restated.

"We're family," Maia echoed softly.

"We're family, Terrell declared, giving all a friendly hug.

Though Mike hadn't heard the conversation with the rest of the team he knew the sentiment. He and Natalia were alone in another part of the ship after he'd spent time with the other Spartans. The trip back to Earth was long enough so there'd be more time for them to debrief. The maturing leader wanted the teens to have time to blow off steam without their commander around, besides, he wanted to spend some time alone with Natalia.

For her part Natalia was happy for the quiet time as well. She'd gone from the shock of capture and interrogation to the conviction she was going to die then from the elation of rescue to the horrific idea Mike would die or be left behind in order to rescue his other teammates. It had been too much for the woman used to privilege to process. Natalia had been happy to assist Melanie, who's dynamic of relationship she didn't even want to consider at this point, helping Adam because it kept her busy. Other than several long and overt stares with Mike they'd had no connection during the Pelican ride to New Harmony.

The pair now sat alone in an empty briefing room, sitting side-by-side on a bench against the wall. Mike was happy to be out of Mjolnir armor while Natalia was still in her uniform that was showing the wear of the past few days. There'd been few words exchanged since they`d gotten on the last transport out though everyone around them seemed happy they were together despite the effort to get to this point. Unsure what to say, spontaneously, a more primal instinct took over and as they turned and their eyes locked each hungrily dived towards the others and their lips met in a ravenous kiss. Mouths open and tongues thrashing each seemed to try to consume the other as they almost seemed to battle for supremacy but this was a contest with no losers and both went deeper into the passion they felt and now unleashed. Each grabbed the other, pulling into a tighter embrace seeking to become as one. Neither knew how long they'd been lost in the embrace before they came up for air.

"Phew, you took my breath away," Natalia commented, lightly stroking the scar on his jaw.

"I'm sorry," Mike apologized pulling back as the old insecurity returned.

"No silly, that was a good thing," she replied, sliding over to snuggle in beside him. "Thank you again for coming to save me."

Mike enjoyed the sensation of her toned body tight into his and felt a tingle all over. He sighed in contentment. "I told you, I wouldn't leave you. We've gone through hell to be together. I'd do anything for you."

Natalia's body convulsed as she tried to stifle a sob.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked in near panic reacting to the emotion. "Did I hurt you?"

"No, quite the opposite." The joy-filled yet emotionally raw woman pulled away to turn so he could see her radiant but tear-filled face. "I've never felt so loved or secure before. Please know you mean the world to me and I'd do anything for you too. Anything, I mean it," she emphasized.

"And you're a Misriah so that means something," Mike shot back playfully which caused the passionate woman's eyes to flare.

"You know it!" Natalia responded with conviction but a glowing smile lit up her face.

"I'm just glad we got there in time." Mike's contentment gave way though to a note of regret which caused Natalia to sit up in concern for the man she loved. "I just wish we could have saved the others like Ackerson too."

"Me too," she replied, taking his hand and stroking it comfortingly. "But you did everything you could. It was nearly over for me too."

"I'm glad it wasn't," he replied, enjoying the feeling of her touching his body. "But why were you spared?" he asked, the tactician creeping into the moment.

"I think because I was ONI," Natalia replied, wincing at the sensation of the Brute's hot breath and spittle on her face as she was interrogated. "They kept asking me about research we were doing but I didn't know anything about it."

"Well thank God for that," Mike said. Seeing her becoming upset by the thought he took her hand into his. "So where do we go from here?" It felt good to be out of his armor and being able to press up against the woman.

"I'm not sure, what do you think?" Natalia replied putting her head against his chest, settling down instantly.

"You're the relationship expert, not me," he countered playfully.

"Jerk," she shot back with a laugh, punching him in the arm. "Hardly that as we've seen in the past few months."

"You found me here on Mars and came for me," Mike reminded her of when she'd first angled to travel to the planet.

"And you came and found me when you'd been ordered not to."

Mike opened his mouth to deny it but she put a finger on his lips to silence him.

"I talked to Gunny MacGregor and he told me everything," Natalia told him. "And that means everything to me. I don't know what's going to happen when we get back to Earth but I will NEVER allow anything to come between us again and a Misriah never breaks a pledge."

"I can believe it," Mike responded, kissing her red streaked blond hair. She snuggled tighter into his embrace. "There's a lot of things I can't control but I can control where my heart and focus are and it's fixed on you. We'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy what we have and not stress what we don't."

Despite the ongoing risk of the war the woman felt safe and secure with the man. The fatigue of the past few days and lack of sleep were catching up despite the intimacy of the moment. Her head became heavy on his chest and the rhythmic hum of the ship was mesmerizing.

"So what do you think?" Mike asked the woman who was now breathing heavily on his chest. "Tali?" he asked.

The woman was in a deep sleep and snoring slightly.

The power of the simple act was not lost on the Spartan. Natalia Misriah was a fighter and for her to allow herself to be in such a vulnerable state spoke more than her words about how she felt about him.

For Mike Nantz the future ahead was scary not just for the war which seemed to have no happy end but also for this relationship. They loved each other, was that enough? What would happen to them? He decided to not worry about that for the moment. They were together and loved each other regardless of what happened. Adam was stabilized and would be okay. The rest of the team were healthy and they'd survived the total conquest of the planet. They were more than just a group of Spartans, they were family, they had each other and knew it. No, this wasn't Reach despite the outcome and he wasn't that man. Things were going to okay. Making sure she rested comfortably on his chest Mike sighed with a deep contentment, closed him own eyes and allowed sleep to come as well.

 **November 11, 2552, 0700 Hours, CSS-class Battlecruiser Furious Redemption, in orbit over planet Mars**

"There was an attack on our compound," Mygaeum whispered in Lepidus' ear as the shipmaster settled into his seat. "It appears as if at least one of the human prisoners escaped."

The burly Brute shrugged his shoulders apathetically. "It is of no matter, my friend, we have what we need and soon none will be able to touch us. When we acquire the Key we will dictate our destiny."

The chieftain's clansman smiled and nodded his shaggy head enthusiastically.

Secretly the cagey Jiralhanae shipmaster was livid at the report but his tactical mind kept him from showing it. His rival Castor was now discredited for his failures against the human defenders allowing him to be elevated to a place of prominence in the Prophet of Truth's command structure. More importantly, his own initial alignment with the Prophet of Regret seemed to be forgotten by the arrogant San'Shyuum. Truth's belief he had absolute control and loyalty from all those in his command would be his undoing once the ambitious Brute recovered this powerful artefact. He cared nothing for the gods since he believed they cared nothing for him but if projected devotion would put him in a place of control he could be as devote as the next.

No, he wasn't going to allow the inconvenience of one last, desperate, human action take from the moment. Not when he was this close to achieving total power.

"Brothers," Lepidus stood up and roared to those on the command deck of his ship, "we head for Earth to claim our prize and then these usurpers will be ground under our feet! Take us out of orbit."

 **November 11, 2552, 1610 Hours, Upstate New York, United States, planet Earth**

Everything tasted like sawdust to Spanner Misriah and it wasn't the fact he continued to be sequestered in his personal bunker. He had every luxury available to him and a personal chef to prepare whatever his fancy dictated. Yet the finest, most choice meat was gristle that stuck in the back of his throat. Despite his wealth and power nothing had meaning to him anymore. The Commerce Department continued their inquiry into his business operations of late but they could do their investigation, they could fine him, he no longer cared. Nothing had value to the no longer focused businessman anymore. Too late did he realize where his true wealth lay.

He'd give it all away for another chance.

Spanner's device warbled to remind him life was still going on. Few had his personal number so that stirred him from the growing lethargy consuming him. Absently grabbing it he looked at the number and didn't recognize it. He could see it was a relayed off-planet call but his foggy mind couldn't make it out. His first instinct told him to ignore it but something said he shouldn't.

"Hello?" he answered dully.

"Daddy? It's me, Tali. We're coming home."

 **END**

[Author's Note: I will be taking a hiatus from writing on Fan Fiction as I return to commercial writing endeavors. But rest assured I will be back to finish the Halo Wolf trilogy. Thank you to those who have been reading and enjoying my story, without you I wouldn't be doing this. A special thanks to 1-1 Marines, Cannonfodder43 and Shadowbellator.94 who've been faithful readers. I appreciate all of your encouragement and support. May this story inspire you to reach beyond your own perceived limits and seek the life available to you despite the odds.]


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